The Toronto Maple Leafs put a lot of faith in goalie Garret Sparks heading into this season as they made it pretty clear they wanted him to be Frederik Andersen’s backup after they placed both Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney on waivers.
Through his first two starts this season, the 25-year-old owns a 2-0 record to go with a 3.49 goals against average and .892 save percentage, but there’s still plenty of time for him to improve his numbers across the board. Looking to switch things up, the Elmhurst, Illinois native is using his brand new mask to honour the late Johnny Bower, Ray Emery and Humboldt Broncos goalie Parker Tobin.
The right side of Sparks’ new mask will feature a picture of legendary Maple Leafs goalie Johnny Bower while the opposite side will feature a portrait of Ray Emery. Meanwhile, the back plate of his brand new mask pays tribute to late Humboldt Broncos goalie Parker Tobin, who was one of the 16 people who lost their lives in the tragic bus crash this past April.
Sparks also shows the Toronto Marlies and the Lemonhead Hockey Club love on his mask and it’s easily one of the nicest masks we’ll see all season long.
(H/T Instagram/sylabrush)
