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Tom and Jarry? Check out Tristan's new Mask Design!
Yinzer Crazy • November 17, 2020
Have you ever looked at a goaltenders mask and thought to yourself "I wonder where they got that design from?"
Most goaltenders actually have a really cool story behind their mask. Sometimes it's simply just a perfect design based around the team that they play for.
For Instance:
For long time hockey fans that's Brian Hayward. He was the net-minder for, you'll never guess - the Sharks, back in the 90's.
Other NHL players may want to commemorate past and present hockey legends, or even legends that they may currently play with. Some of you might remember when Marc-Andre Fleury donned a mask commemorating past Penguins icon's, and those he won a cup with during the Penguins 50th anniversary outdoor game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Pretty sweet, as in the second photo you can see the names "Guerin", "Adams" and "Fedotenko" to commemorate some of your favorite former skaters.
Some goalies like to really stand out with an exotic choice.
Similar to the one former Penguins Goalie Ken Wregget had conjured up with Danny DeVito's rendition of the Penguin in Batman.
1000 extra points for creativity, Ken. Or in this case, saves.
Regardless of motivation, there are a lot of cool hockey buckets out there that goalies have come up with over the years, and are currently still designing. Sometimes, though, you get a really great backstory to an otherwise curious looking mask.
Enter Tristan Jarry, the next starting goaltender for your Pittsburgh Penguins, and possible franchise stabilizer.
You may Remember when Jarry started his NHL career he wore a "Penguins of Madagascar" mask with the popular cat and mouse show inspiration "Tom and Jerry," playing side by side with the cartoon Penguins.
When Pittsburgh wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino passed away in 2018, Jarry had the cat and mouse dress up in wrestling outfits in remembrance of Bruno's legacy.
Whether you enjoy the cartoon style of Jarry's headgear, or just like the homage to the classic show, you may not know there's actually a deeper meaning behind the cartoon duo. One that Jarry reflects on often.
Jarry actually started his career with a variety of designs - stating that video games like call of duty, zombies, and even the Oil Kings logo (the team he started his career with) were the first layouts of his helmet.
It wasn't until Jarry's two European teammates at the time, Kristian Pelss and Martine Gernat, who didn't speak much English, related how closely Jarry's name was to the pop culture icon they did happen to recognize. It was Jerry, from Tom and Jerry.
Jarry was quoted in a recent interview with Michelle Crechiolo who writes for the @PensInsideScoop about the interaction he would have with the two.
"They'd always come in and say Jerry, where's your cat Tom? And I'd have no idea what they were talking about for the longest time, and then finally I figured out that it was a cartoon show, so I was like, that makes sense! They always called me Jerry, so I incorporated Tom and Jerry into my next helmet."
Unfortunately the story takes a very sad turn.
In 2013, back in his native home of Latvia, Pelss tragically drowned in a terrible accident.
From that moment on Jarry decided to continue the tradition of Tom and Jerry on his mask, in honor of his good friend.
Much like the wrestling outfits he used, Jarry likes to put the cat and mouse in different costumes and depictions to honor or commemorate different events in his and his family and friends lives.
When his uncle, an outdoor enthusiast, had a heart attack last year, Jarry dressed the rival animals up and had them go ice fishing.
The possibilities are endless when you have such an iconic duo that transcends generations. And a good man like Tristan Jarry behind the mask. Tom and Jerry began in the 1940's and have been entertaining youth after school and on Saturday mornings ever since. Now Jarry is bringing them new life in a unique way, including his next big design.
Did you notice what it was in the feature picture at the top of our story?
It's Jerry, dressed as a doctor with a Penguins mask on, smashing the novel Corona Virus with an old school goalie stick. On the other side is Tom with a syringe also combating the virus, and on the back is a message thanking the heroes on the front line.
Tristan said it was an easy decision based on the current state of the world, and the fact that his parents have been on the front lines since the virus began, operating the grocery store they own in British Columbia. He mentioned he was also thrilled by how well the colors matched up with the teams jerseys.
As this Penguins season kicks off in January, it is going to be so cool to see Jarry wearing a helmet with so much meaning behind it.
No matter how this season goes for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it's awesome to watch a sport and a team that has individuals who use their talents on and off the ice to recognize what others do in our community and around the world. Jarry's helmet is just one example of many that Penguins players and the organization are all about.
It may seem like a small gesture, and one that goes overlooked at times. But the fact that Jarry has been using his helmet the past few years to honor his friends and family, and commemorate his community, just goes to show that this is much more than just a game of cat and mouse.
Story written by Pens Contributor Luke Ranalli
I also want to make sure to mention that the Yinzer Crazy Podcast had projected backup net-minder to Jarry, Casey DeSmith on the show just a few weeks back. We asked him about his helmet design and what went into it for him. He gave a wonderful, detailed answer about how a certain show in Scranton (hmm, I wonder what that could be?) inspired his Wilkes-Barre helmet. DeSmith even discusses that the helmet designs aren't really for himself, either.
Listen just by clicking Play below to see what we mean!
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Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Harv Aronson. Contact Harv @ Totalsportsrecall@gmail.com
Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Harv Aronson. Contact Harv @ Totalsportsrecall@gmail.com
Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Harv Aronson. Contact Harv @ Totalsportsrecall@gmail.com
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