THE ART OF GOALIE GEAR

Concordia Stingers’ goaltenders talk about their gear and the inspiration and meaning behind it

BY MARIA BOUABDO | SPORTS EDITOR

Everybody knows how agile and smart hockey goaltenders have to be. But they are also the most creative and artistic position when it comes to gear in team sports.

Goalies have the free- dom to design their own equipment, including their masks and pad sets.

While everybody notices how aesthetically pleasing these masks are, what they don’t always realize is the meaning and inspiration behind certain designs. The hockey goaltenders — from the Concordia Stingers’ women’s and men’s hockey teams — explained the designs on their gear.

The message: “I will always be there” is from Madison Oakes’s teammate Philbert. There are four stars on Oakes’s mask with encouraging messages they’ve received.