Pro hockey goalie Elvis Merzļikins has brought Sega’s beloved Sonic franchise to the NHL with his stunning new mask.
Merzļikins debuted the mask for the Blue Jackets during warmup when his team faced off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The mask was a huge undertaking and was designed by artists Jordon Bourgeault and Chris Moniz.
Bourgeault explained idea was to put movie-style Sonic and Knuckles on the mask, then switch to a 16-bit game aesthetic for the backdrop. If you look closely, the logos, chin section, numbers and even the clouds are all rendered in pixel art.
“There are also little pixelated Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Robotnik and even the CBJ’s own stinger to complete the 16 bit video game look,” he said.
On the chin, “Elvis The Goalie” is stylized the way “Sonic The Hedgehog” would be in the classic games, giving it some added charm.
NHL goalie mask combines movie and 16-bit Sonic
The decision to make a Sonic-themed goalie mask all came down to the Latvian goalie’s son, who is a huge fan of the hedgehog.
“Elvis’s son is a huge Sonic fan so he chose this theme for his son, but with the blending of new movie Sonic and the OG video game Sonic, I think we got a little something in there for both generations of Merzly’s!” Bourgeault exclaimed.
The mask was a huge hit with the Blue Jackets’ netminder, who was impressed with the paint job.
“Thank you for making Knox’s dream come true!” the goalie praised the artist on Instagram.
It won’t be long until Merzļikins’ new mask sees action. The 31-year-old is set to wear it as the starter versus the Winnipeg Jets on November 18.
