Masking personality: Utah Hockey goalies explain their creative masks

SALT LAKE CITY — Want to get a peek at Utah Hockey Club goalie Matt Villalta's personality? Take a peak at his masks through the years.

In his first year as a professional, Villalta had SpongeBob and Patrick painted on his mask. Next, it was Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. Last season, when he played for the Arizona Coyotes and their affiliate Tuscon Roadrunners, his mask appropriately featured Wiley E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.

"I like to do cartoons on every mask," he said.

Sure, it's fun for the kids, but he also just likes cartoons.

Case in point: This summer he was watching a short of Mater of "Cars" fame when it hit him that would be perfect for his new club. "Tokyo Mater" features a much less rusty version of the famous tow truck, and that blue seemed to match pretty well with Utah's colors.

"I was like, 'Hey, that'll work perfect!'" Villalta said.

For starting netminder Connor Ingram, his mask hearkens back to his youth … but in a more superstitious way.

Ingram's mask features the Joker from "The Dark Knight" series on the back, and that's been there ever since he could have a custom design.

"I'm too superstitious to take it off," he said. "It was right when the movie came out. I liked it, so that's what went on there."

So how do these masks go from the mind of a goalie to real-life art?

"I send it to Dave Gunnarsson and he pretty much does it," Ingram said.

For nearly three decades, Gunnarsson has helped change the way goalie masks are viewed. What were once featureless Jason Voorhees-style masks have morphed into bright-colored canvases.

Like with Ingram's, some of his top masks have tapped into the popular zeitgeist. He's made a "Ron Burgundy" mask and a "Back to the Future" mask; he also made one featuring the "Seinfeld" character David Puddy (the crazed New Jersey Devils fan who paints his face) for, you guessed it, a New Jersey Devils goalie.

Sometimes, there's a lot of back and forth on the design; and other times, like in Ingram's case, he just lets Gunnarsson do what he does best.

"I don't really care what it looks like, but some guys are a little more picky," Ingram said. "I like to keep it pretty simple. The less people looking at me, the better."

Villalta found his mask painter in a very modern way. When he was younger he remembers looking through hockey magazines to find someone to paint his mask. Now? Social media does a pretty good job; that's how he found artist Dave Fried.

"His cartoons are unbelievable," he said.

That made it a perfect match.

"I think it's pretty cool to put your own personal touch on it," Villalta said. "I feel like a cool part about being goalie is you get to show off a little bit through your mask."

And if kids are drawn to his cartoon masks, even better.

"Maybe kids come to the game and they'll know who Mater is, and maybe they'll aspire to be a goalie," he said. "I like to keep it fun; that's my personality. It's fun. When you have fun you play your best."

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