Apple, NHL, NHLPA partner again on 'Made on iPad x NHL' goalie mask campaign 

There was a time when goalie mask art was sketched out, longhand, and changes were made, painstakingly, with erasers. But then again, there was a time when NHL goalies didn’t wear masks at all.

Thankfully, each of those eras are well in the rearview mirror. Goalies are not only protected better than ever, but their gear is more creative and detailed than any point in history.

To show off that creativity, Apple, the NHL and the NHLPA have again teamed up for the “Made on iPad x NHL” campaign, spotlighting how artists and goalies use iPad to transform ideas into the unmistakable masks that define each goalie on the ice.

For Jordon Bourgeault, a 41-year-old Calgary-based airbrush artist, the changes are very welcome.

“It used to be if a change had to be made, to make a part of the design bigger or smaller, that all had to be redone,” said Bourgeault, founder of JBO Airbrush, which has been designing masks for more than 15 years. “Now with iPad, especially the M5, it’s so powerful and fast you can make changes very easily and send it back to the customer. It’s the only thing I use.”

Edits are still made to designs during the collaboration with NHL goalies, but now they are made with the Apple Pencil Pro.

“I moved to iPad about four or five years ago. I don’t think I have turned on my desktop since,” Bourgeault said. “It’s sped up the process and led to way better approval rates from customers and it will make it that much better when I go to actually paint the mask.”

And the results are incredible.

Bourgeault said he started his career with “beer league clients” until one day one of his designs went viral, which led to getting a DM from then-Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price. Now, he is one of three artists -- along with Travis Micheal and Dave Fried -- who, through the partnership efforts with the NHLPA, Apple and NHL, teamed up with six NHL goalies to design masks that reflect the identity and signature style of each goalie.

The list of goalies includes Anthony Stolarz of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks, Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames, Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals and Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens.

On December 15, all masks will be available in the latest edition of the super-popular EA Sports video game “NHL 26.” All six designs will be available in-game during ‘Chel Week.’ Masks will be available to all players in both World of Chel and Hockey Ultimate Team. Masks will stay playable for the entire “NHL 26” cycle, connecting the artistry of the rink with the creativity of iPad and the thrill of the game.

For Bourgeault, the thrill of seeing his artwork gracing goalie masks is almost like his version of making a huge glove save in overtime.

“I’ve always liked hockey, everyone here loves the Flames,” he said. “The playoffs are always intense. But now when I see my work out there, I have a vested interest. It’s like I have a brother or cousin out there.”

The inspiration for each Made on iPad NHL goalie mask is different.

For Stolarz's "Polar Bear Mask” by Bourgeault, the inspiration is Carlton the Bear, the Maple Leafs' mascot who has been a fixture at Toronto home games since 1995. A closer look at Stolarz’s design also reveals branches filled with blue maple leaves growing on either side of the mask. The branches are meant to be a kind of Maple Leafs’ goalie family tree, with each leaf symbolically representing one of Stolarz’s favorite past Toronto goalies/heroes. And on the chin, Stolarz’s number is carved into the bark of the tree.

Montembeault’s “Python Mask” by Bourgeault was designed as an intricate knot of snakes twisting around each other, with a few snake skeletons added for good measure. The Canadiens logo on each side has also been reimagined to include snake scales and bones to add one extra “ssssssssssick” touch.

Demko’s “Johnny Canuck Mask” by Michael continues the motif of reinventing the “Johnny Canuck” character originally designed with Demko’s dad, this time reimagined as a skull that envelops the entire mask breaking through ice. The skull includes details like metal rivets and staples that hold it together, and the Canucks skate logo added as a patch on his toque.

Wolf's "Wolf Mask” by Michael features a very fitting red wolf front and center, flanked by flames inspired by the team logo. On one side of the mask is also a cowboy riding a bull, as a nod to Calgary’s rodeo culture, and on the other is a tribute to the town of Banff with a skating scene on a frozen lake.

For Hill's “Dragon Mask” by Fried, a massive golden dragon head adorns the mask as a complement to the Golden Knights’ Medieval theme. There’s also an easter egg on the design found in the dragon busting through a brick wall, a feature found on the mask Hill wore when Vegas won the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Thompson’s “Dueling Eagles Mask” by Fried is a 2.0 version of Thompson’s eagle mask from last season. This season the eagles are captured in flight to look even more dynamic and bold. And in-between them sits the United States Capitol.