Merzlikins unveils new 'Sonic the Hedgehog' mask

When Elvis Merzlikins took the ice for warmups last Thursday at Nationwide Arena, his new goalie mask stole the show.

The Columbus Blue Jackets netminder unveiled his sweet new headgear before the team’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, which pays homage to the classic “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise.

The mask has the iconic character Sonic on the right side, with his trusty sidekick Knuckles on the left and other “Sonic the Hedgehog” characters included around the mask.

The goaltender revealed the mask in a post on his Instagram page.

Per the design, the characters in the forefront of the mask are painted in the same style as the 2020 “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie, while the characters in the background kept the classic 16-bit look of the original 1990s video games.

The design also intertwines a Blue Jackets theme, weaving the logo into various spots on the mask as well as a 16-bit version of Stinger, the team’s mascot.

“The idea was to paint the movie style characters but keep the background like the 16-bit video game,” said Jordon Bourgeault, who painted the mask, via an Instagram video. “Really busy one, but I think it’s pretty sick.”

Parts of the mask were also painted by Chris Moniz.

On the back of the helmet, Merzlikins honors the late Johnny Gaudreau and Matiss Kivlenieks with an emblem that lists both of their names and jersey numbers.

Gaudreau, a seven-time NHL All-Star who spent two seasons with the Blue Jackets, and his brother, Matthew, died Aug. 29, 2024 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver, who has been charged with two counts of death by auto.

Kivlenieks died in a fireworks accident in 2021 at age 24, and Merzlikins spoke at his memorial service.

In his Instagram post, Bourgeault revealed that Merzlikins chose this theme for his four-year-old son, Knox, who is a huge “Sonic the Hedgehog” fan.

“I think we got a little something in there for both generations of Merzly’s!!” wrote Bourgeault on his post.

“Thank you for making Knox’s dream come true!” Merzlikins wrote in his Instagram caption.

Merzlikins is set to be the Blue Jackets’ starting goalie on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNOH), meaning this sweet mask might get to see some real action very soon.