“Sometimes he brings some ideas, sometimes it’s us, and we work back and forth with him,” Marsolais said of the design process. “We’ll send him a sketch and he can change stuff if he wants or adjust different elements. He’s really easy to work with, and he knows what he wants.”
Vasilevskiy came prepared for this mask, hoping to recognize his Russian roots and the cold winters in Russia since the game will be played outdoors. This mask’s palm trees will add snow and icicles to fuel the Stadium Series spirit.
Every Vasilevskiy mask is highlighted by one key element—the lion, prominently featured as an homage to his nickname, ‘The Big Cat’, as well as palm trees and Lightning bolts.
The Stadium Series lion will don a Russian hat with big ears in addition to sunglasses that can help fight off the lights at Raymond James Stadium, a feature Marsolais said is a nod to the fun, round sunglasses Vasilevskiy often wears to Lightning games.
Marsolais said that’s her favorite part of this design.
“I think it’s the lion with the Russian hat and the Vasy sunglasses,” she said. “It’s different from his other masks, and it’s unique and represents him very well.”
A pair of Russian monuments in the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman, as well as the Space Conquerors Monument, will also be on the mask. One represents space exploration, and another represents unity and hard work. Vasilevskiy first saw them after visiting the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow a few years ago, "one of the best places he’s ever been”.
The helmet also features a Russian nesting doll, another nod to Vasilevskiy’s heritage.
Marsolais operates Sylabrush along with Alexandre Mathys in Quebec. The duo first met Vasilevskiy in Boisbriand, a suburb of Montreal, during the 2012 Subway Super Series when the best young Russian players were playing against the top prospects from the QMJHL.
Sylabrush painted their first mask for Vasilevskiy the following year while the goalie played professionally in Russia for the KHL’s Ufa Salavat Yulayev. The company has painted more than 30 masks for Vasilevskiy over his career.
“It’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all special,” Marsolais said. “We start them from scratch, and we build them from there. They’re all custom paint jobs, so it’s hard to choose one in particular.”
Both she and Mathys are goalies themselves, so they understand the responsibility placed upon them when designing a goalie’s mask—one of the few identifiable pieces of equipment on an NHL player.
On Feb. 1, fans will be able to recognize The Big Cat by just that.
“It will look really cool on that stage,” Vasilevskiy said of the mask, “And Sylvie never disappoints. I hope it will be one of my best masks yet.”
Marsolais and Mathys have seen their work displayed on NHL ice dozens of times before, but even they said this Stadium Series opportunity carries some extra pride.
“Yeah, that's going to be crazy,” Marsolais said of knowing their work will shine under the bright lights at Raymond James Stadium.
“Because in Tampa Bay, to have an outdoor game? That's pretty special. It's kind of unbelievable just to achieve that, so to see it on the ice with that mask will be incredible.”
