Mike Smith will be rocking this incredible mask honouring Mike Vernon for Flames' home opener

BarDown Staff

Jermain Franklin/Twitter

The 2018/19 NHL season didn't start the way the Calgary Flames were hoping it would.

Wednesday night, the Flames lost 5-2 to the Canucks in Vancouver, but the good news is they'll get another shot at the Canucks in their next game on Saturday night in Calgary.

The Saddledome will be rocking and the home opener for the Flames will be the first game they rock their new retro jerseys. The jersey won't be the only new piece of gear Mike Smith will be rocking for the game as he'll wear a new mask honouring Mike Vernon.

#Flames Mike Smith honouring Mike Vernon with the new mask... Painted as a Vernon replica... those are Smith's ears though. Should fit in perfectly with the retro jerseys. pic.twitter.com/rqz98puedY
— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) October 4, 2018

For comparison purposes, here's Vernon's mask from back in the day.

@darrigoart is painting a Mike Vernon tribute (complete with the CCM helmet and Cooper cage) for Mike Smith. We’re going to pre-#GGNApprove this mask in advance. pic.twitter.com/bGsRqMalei
— Goalie Gear Nerd (@GoalieGearNerd) October 4, 2018

It's an incredible tribute to the legendary Flames goalie who won a Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989.

Obviously the one detail of the mask fans will point immediately is the ears, but as we've seen in the past, ears painted on a mask isn't exactly an unfamiliar look.