Rask unveils Winter Classic goalie mask for Bruins

BOSTON -- While coach Bruce Cassidy has yet to name a starting goalie for the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, Tuukka Rask is ready.

The goaltender debuted his Winter Classic-themed mask, featuring a leprechaun in a Boston Bruins jersey on a white background, at practice Friday.
"Courtesy of Matt Falconer," Rask said, of the Bruins' assistant equipment manager. "Got to give him all the credit, when everybody asks me. He really wanted to make one."
Rask said that Falconer designed the mask himself and got it made.
The question is whether Rask will get to wear it during the outdoor game or only in warmups.
Rask will start against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, NESN, NHL.TV), but Cassidy has not decided if Rask or Jaroslav Halak starts in the Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1 at Notre Dame Stadium (1 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVAS).

Rask, for his part, is generally loath to change his mask, and has stuck with one design for most of his 12 NHL seasons, with a few themed masks thrown in, including one for each of the three Winter Classics in which the Bruins have played.
Rask started the 2016 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium, which featured his favorite mask of the three, with a New England Patriots theme. That mask had illustrations of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski and was complimented by Brady himself. Rask backed up Tim Thomas at the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park.
His everyday mask has been around for the past two or three seasons. Quipped Rask, "I should probably wash it a couple of times."
"Once you have it, it's cool to keep it," said Rask, who has always admired the iconic mask worn by legendary Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers. "Then you become known for that if you wear it for like 10 years. I don't think my mask is that cool, like some of the old ones, but I've worn it many, many years and never changed it. Never going to, probably."