After spending the latter half of last season and the beginning of this one still using his Houston-Aeros inspired red mask, Providence Bruins goaltender Anton Khudobin has finally donned a lid that reflects his new organization.
Anton Khudobin skates in warmups against the Manchester Monarchs. | Photo by 560xls
Crafted by Dom Malerba of Pro's Choice and painted by local mask artist Ron Slater, Khudobin's new mask is a Vaughn Vision custom. Khudobin was directed to Pro's Choice by a member of the Bruins' equipment staff, he said. One of the best features that he likes about the mask is the fact that it is custom molded to his face.
"Before, I had a regular mask, and after a while, like a few months? My mask didn't fit my face anymore. [This mask is] molded to my head...there was really no problem. I put it on my head and it was ready to go. It took so long because I ordered it in training camp, that's when they molded my face, and it took pretty long to do it," said Khudobin.
Additionally, Pro's Choice makes the rest of their mask customizable as well.
"Anton could have anything done to the mask, the size of the face opening, chin length and type of cage, to name a few. The mask is made with Kevlar and carbon fiber. The cage is covered in real 24k gold. Most pros choice masks come with the signature Tri-Cat cage as seen on many pros goalies like Tuukka Rask. Anton decided to go with the standard two bar cage," said Pro's Choice's Paul Cena.
The design was a collaborative effort between Khudobin and Malerba; while Khudobin knew he wanted to go with an overall Bruins theme, he had definite requirements for the backplate - it is adorned with his parents' initials, as well as Igor Korolev's #22.
Image by 560xls
"I had angels before, and i decided I wanted something wild, like a bear with its mouth open or something and the painter actually gave me a really good idea, so it's a bear ripping skin and underneath is the boston logo. On the back is the russian eagles, the two eagles. on one side is my parents' names, and the other is my friend who I played with in Russia, who died in the plane crash."
Korolev was a veteran on the 2006-2007 Metallurg Magnitogorsk team, where Khudobin got his start. Khudobin has since also added the Lokomotiv logo to the backplate, as well.
Pro's Choice has done a great job in the past with Providence goalies, from fan-favorite Jordan Sigalet to Michael Hutchinson and Tuukka Rask, and this latest additions holds up to the standard.
Original Story:
http://www.somethingsbruin.net/provid...
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November 07, 2011
