Rockets goalies reveal new painted masks

“I fired an email to the Rockets equipment manager maybe seven years ago,” Michael recalled. “I wanted to paint their goalie masks because of the Ogopogo. Let’s team up. He told me, we would love to, but it isn’t what we are doing right now.

“This summer when I was walking my dog, the phone rang and the call was from Kelowna. I didn’t pick it up. I said to myself, that would be funny if it was the Rockets. Boom, the voice mail came up and it was Tim Webster [equipment manager] with the Kelowna Rockets”

After getting the green light from Rockets general manager Bruce Hamilton, both goalies put together designs that Michael worked with to create eye-catching pieces of hockey art. It marked the first time that a goalie, wearing team colours on the protective headgear, was fashioned since Josh Lepp during the 2002-2003 season. Since then, only white masks have been worn by what is considered the most importance positional player on the ice.

“It is arguably one of the best logos in the league,” Michael said. “It was a blast to paint. The colour scheme is not what your normally paint with, which makes it even more fun. That tealish colour. Not many teams have that.”

Michael has also designed masks for Vancouver Canuck goalies Thatcher Demko, Arthurs Silov and Calgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf.

“Dustin is a good buddy of mine,” he said. “I’ve painted his masks since he was in Everett with the Tips. I have worked with Thatcher Demko since the Covid season. We’ve done 10 or 12 masks for him alone.”

Every mask Michael designs is unique. Kykkanen’s features the cartoon-like Ogopogo on the right side and then a more realistic one on the left side.

“We could design the mask the way we wanted,” Kykkanen told RocketFAN. “We just had to keep it team orientated, which is fair enough, that is what I wanted to do anyway. I looked to Tim Webster for help. I asked him for ideas, as I didn’t really know what to put on it.”

Kykkanen’s mask includes an image of Prospera Place, while the back plate has Alberta and Saskatchewan provincial crests with a line through the middle, signifying his place of birth, Lloydminster, Alberta, which is situated right on the provincial border.

“I have a raccoon tail down the middle,” Kykkanen added about the attention to detail on his mask. “It is like the old trapper’s hat and it has some hidden meaning behind it.

“I have a quote that says, ‘One day or day one’,’ he continued. “My billet dad said it to me and it stuck with me. When he first said it to me, what does that mean? Everyone says someday I want to do this, but why can’t it be day one to achieve that goal?”

Holding the mash with great care, looking like a new father holding a toddler in his arms, Kykkanen was asked if he is particular on who touches his prized possession.

“No one really touches it,” he said with a smirk. “If anyone did, I would ask them to put it down. Tim [Webster] can touch it. So can Eli Wilson (goalie coach), and so can Jake [Pilon] my goalie partner. I just want to keep it as nice as I can. It is really special.”

Michael says the masks take between a week and seven days to paint, all depending on how complicated the design.

“He [Michael] is a really good artist,” Kykkanen added.

“He knocked this out of the park.”

by Regan Bartel

Rockets goalies reveal new painted masks

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