The Best Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Masks of the Modern Era

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had no shortage of art on display in their nets over the years.

Goalie masks have been around since 1959, when Jaques Plante famously returned to action wearing one after taking a puck to the face. More than 100 goalies have suited up as a Toronto Maple Leafs goalie throughout their over 100-year history, leaving no lack of painted protection to look back on.

As an original six franchise their logo will forever be immortalized, but it’s also undeniable simplistic.

Many of the team’s past goalies have relied so heavily on stamping the Maple Leaf all over their fibreglass face as its main focus, that they ultimately failed to express anything about who they were behind the cage.

Being unique should be encouraged.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goalies that let their personalities shine through alongside their passion in playing for this team certainly elevated their personas.

It’s one thing to respect the organization’s tradition, but the goalies that found a way to embed themselves within it brought their folklore to a whole new level.

In 1991, a new era of expansion began in the NHL. Coincidentally, the typical goalie mask we’re most familiar with today was also quickly becoming the standard around the league. With that, we’ll focus on the design innovations and creative expressions that have evolved since, highlighting Toronto’s best styles along the way.

Some of the following mask designs were altered with slight modifications throughout the respective goalie’s years as a member of the Maple Leafs, but the overall look and theme were generally maintained.

Here are Toronto’s top five goalie masks throughout modern times.

Andrew Raycroft

Although Andrew Raycroft‘s tenure in Toronto was far from memorable as far as his statistics were concerned, his mask design certainly caught every fan’s attention (and for the right reasons).

It could be seen as anything but original, since his helmet was essentially a canvas of all things Maple Leafs blended together.

But what made it unique was the intentional homage it created, paying tribute to the storied history of the franchise he found himself being part of.

Raycroft’s mask included more recent fan favourites like Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, and Felix Potvin, while showing respect to Leafs legends like Darryl Sittler and Johnny Bower, along with other Toronto greats.

Adding an image of the Maple Leafs Gardens building on his forehead, front and centre for all to see, was the final touch to this masterpiece. Raycroft’s mask was at a level of greatness, of which his play in Toronto’s net never could match up to.

Ed Belfour

Staying true to his alter ego in net, Ed Belfour (aka Eddie the Eagle) brought his signature style along with him and into Toronto after the Leafs signed him in the summer of 2002.

His already iconic eagle themed mask, already having been represented on three other teams in his 13 seasons prior, flew alongside and followed him.

Belfour updated the look, to better represent the blue and white.

It was the same classic bird-focused design, with a side profile view of the eagle on the right and left of the helmet.

This created a mirror image type effect, with both sides meeting in the middle.

The gaps were filled in with a Toronto centric type of blue, creating a cohesion to the look.

Belfour saw some success in his short stint with the team and even made two All-Star appearances in the three years he suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even if his time playing here has since been forgotten, his mythical mask design won’t soon be.

Curtis Joseph

Curtis Joseph is arguably one of the most beloved Toronto Maple Leafs of all time, and not just as compared to his goaltending counterparts.

Of his 19 year career, five were spent in Toronto and he also achieved his career’s best stats while in the Maple Leafs lineup.

With 138 wins and 17 shutouts, it’s easy to see how he became an instant fan favourite. (nhl.com).

Beyond just the numbers, his personality stole the show as his passion to compete aligned with that of the fans cheering him on.

He was a leader and had a voice, which was rare for someone in his role, as he battled each and every game to make them a better team than they were without him.

As a fierce competitor, Cujo’s helmet accurately depicted who he was while he had it on. Ragged fur covering its entire face; focused eyes locking with whatever looked its way; sharp teeth anchoring its whole head; and, a mouth open just wide enough to showcase Joseph’s face between its jaws.

This mask was an instant classic.

Frederik Andersen

After making an immediate impact on this Toronto team and their fanbase upon his acquisition in June 2016, Frederik Andersen has given the Maple Leafs the type of confidence in their own zone that they haven’t enjoyed in quite some time.

Goaltending has seemingly always been a hot topic in this market, but Andersen has managed to cool that conversation down substantially.

Along with the calmness he displays in the crease, is the particulars of his presence. His mask is a tribute to the things that matter most to him: The home country, his new town, and a nod to a legend.

A cartoon Batman using LEGO bricks to build a wall across the landscape of the mask, combined with the classic Toronto Maple Leafs logo and imagery to represent Bower’s helmet, brings the whole design together in a way that the individual elements alone wouldn’t have accomplished.