Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer is gearing up for the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on New Year's Day.
In addition to sporting a brand new pair of goalie pads created by Bauer that he's been breaking in at selected practices, the 25-year-old Reimer will also be wearing a new mask especially made for the occasion by painter David Gunnarsson when his team faces the Detroit Red Wings.
"The helmet has a picture of the old Maple Leafs logo with horizontal lines that match the jersey," Reimer told NHL.com. "There's also a winter classic logo on it and, from afar, it looks like a retro mask. But when you get close up to it, it still has those sketches that I like to keep the [Reimer] theme."
Reimer said he didn't have to make many changes after Gunnarsson sent him the first sketch of the mask.
"There were just little things, but I basically kept it the way he initially had it," Reimer said.
The fourth-year goalie acknowledged that having the HBO cameras in the locker room during the network's "24/7" Red Wings-Maple Leafs Road to the Winter Classic series has been a lot of fun.
"I'm really looking forward to this game since I never took part in a competitive hockey game outdoors except when I was a little kid," Reimer said. "The HBO people have been great. I can't complain, they've all been good guys and haven't been a distraction in the room. The stuff they put out is a lot of fun to watch."
---
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.