Gritty featured on Pickard's new Flyers mask

PHILADELPHIA --Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot which already has appeared on numerous television shows, now has made his way onto a goalie mask.

Calvin Pickard, who the Flyers claimed on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 2, unveiled his new mask Tuesday, which included Gritty on one side.

The mask was created in about a day by artist Franny Drummond of PaintZoo, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

"Derek [Settlemyre, Flyers equipment manager] had talked to me Saturday and told me we had picked up another goaltender, which was Calvin, and he said, 'I got his old Toronto mask here, would you be able to turn this one pretty quick? 'And I said, 'Absolutely, we can crank this one pretty quick, I have an idea for it.' We decided to play the Gritty thing."

Drummond sanded off the previous art work on Pickard's mask and quickly added an image of the fuzzy orange, googly-eyed monster on the right side.

Because of the quick turnaround, Drummond pitched the idea to Settlemyre, who approved it. Drummond said Pickard's only request was to have his nickname, Picks, on the chin.

Pickard saw the mask for the first time before the Flyers' morning skate Tuesday, prior to their home opener against the San Jose Sharks at Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV).

"[Pickard] was blown away that we got it done so soon," Drummond said. "He said, 'Wow this is pretty cool.' He was pretty excited to get the mask so quick."

Gritty has become an internet sensation since being unveiled Sept. 24. He has appeared on "Good Morning America," danced with comedian Ricky Gervais on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," was dressed up as a Supreme Court justice on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," and danced with the Phillie Phanatic on the dugout at a Philadelphia Phillies game.

Gritty will make his regular-season debut Tuesday, with the Flyers announcing he'll be making a "dramatic grand entrance."