This NHL season isn't even officially finished yet, but San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi already has a new mask for next season.

In his new design, as done by goalie mask artist extraordinaire Dave Gunnarsson, Niemi pays homage to his heritage. The Vezina finalist hails from Finland, so he wanted to say something that expressed as much. Thus, a mask honoring the heroes of the Finnish Winter War.

From Gunnarsson on DaveArt.com:

The design is fully loaded with details and you can follow the story all over the mask. The upper part of the mask is created as a map of Finland, and the lower parts opens up and the Sharks theme comes out.

You find it all here. The amazing Finnish soldiers on one side skiing in their white winter uniforms. The Finnish chief commander Gustaf Mannerheim who later became the Finnish President is also a part of the design, just as the famous statue of him.

You also find the map of Finland, the Finnish lion, and also the Winter War Campaign Medal of 1939-1940 that was awarded to Finnish soldiers for fighting the invading Soviet Russian armies.

It's a striking mask, and it does transition pretty well from the shark on the front of the cage and the team's colors into the Finnish winter scene. Also on the mask, written on the top, is "Legendary Heroes of the Finnish Winter War" to make it clear what the mask is all about.

For those who need a little history lesson as to what the Finnish Winter War was all about, here you go. Worthy soliders to be remembered by Niemi.

PHOTO: Antti Niemi pays tribute to Finnish war vets on new mask - CBSSports.com


Click on the link to watch the picture.
My maternal grandfather is a veteran from that war and I think that mask is completely awesome.

One of the best looking masks I've seen to date ... love the historical reference/tribute to the troops & the homeland as well, . It's gonna' start a trend ...

I hope so. There has been many great masks but it can be even better if they have a deeper meaning.

Yeah, 'deeper meaning' is where I think you hit the nail on the head. Goalie masks have evolved over the years and there's been some great designs, but this has to be the first I've seen that pays tribute to a significant historical event in the country you're from. Being a history & geography buff, former military, traditionalist and a fan of 'playing from the heart/remembering where you came from', this mask resonates with me. Obviously, it's an inspiration to Niemi, but if they take the time to talk to him about his mask and understand the meaning behind it, it should serve to inspire the team as well. Goalies are special people and just because they don't necessarily wear a "C" or an "A" doesn't mean they're not a team leader.

"Smell the ice" ... I used to get my kids to the rink early and tell them to 'smell the ice'. Got 'em out there right after the zamboni got done. People used to think I was a fanatic trying to get my kids a few extra minutes of ice time, but it was because that was the time the rink was quiet and the ice was perfect. When you step out and take a deep breath, you can 'smell the ice' ... it's crisp, clean ... like bedsheets fresh from the dryer ... it's just you skating on a sheet of glass and this is why you play the game. When Niemi puts on that mask, he 'smells the ice', .

Jimmy Howard (DET) has a nice mask that features the Detroit skyline and it's automotive roots and here's a somewhat outdated link to other masks in the NHL: Curtis McElhinney - Anaheim Ducks - NHL Goalie Masks by Team (2010-11) - Photos - SI.com

Don't care too much for Niemi's new mask nor the theme used on it.

To me Niemi has always come across as one of those overly patriotic idiots Finland is full of with the Finnish lion on the back of his mask and I wouldn't be surprised if he had tattoo of it on him as well and a gold chain around his neck.

Now, I'm not saying that the war vets shouldn't be recognized for what they did, but I'm not sure if a hockey goalie tribute mask is the venue to do that.

In any case, the mask is an improvement over his former one, but that isn't saying much as his former mask was total garbage. To me the mask is too full of details which make it too hectic in my opinion. The color scheme is very nice, but I would've left someone like Mannerheim out of it.

It just has a right-wing nationalist smell to it, which I'm very much against of.

An interesting critique/perspective on Niemi from a fellow countryman ... do you think he's been overly influenced/exposed to Hollywood/California/the US in general? I never really considered the political aspect of it, being unfamiliar with the politics of Finland.

Maybe I was being a bit too harsh earlier and I let the fact that I was pissed over Chicago winning the cup affect my critic of Niemi somewhat.

No, I don't think it has anything to do with US influence... it's a Finnish thing, but also an European thing on a bigger scale. What I was referring to was the social and cultural phenomenon that's rampant in most European states at the moment; neo-right wing conservatism. It's not a new thing for sure and it's something that tends to rise up when the peoples of various states are facing tough times whether economically or otherwise. People need something or someone to blame for their troubles and nowadays it seems that it's either the EU itself or the other nationalities within it that are causing the problems a state is having - when speaking about Europe of course. It's not something that should be encouraged or cultured within a society as it may lead to some very negative events: just ask the Germans how it all worked out for them.

Still, I don't think Niemi is a person who endorses that type of a political view. He's probably just (overtly) patriotic or he might have another good reason to commemorate the struggles Finland went through as a young nation... a family connection perhaps? I don't know him well enough to really comment on that, and I do regret that I stereotyped him as hastily as I did earlier.

Nonetheless, I still don't think it is a good topic to base a mask paint scheme on, especially when it's done in as comprehensive of a way as it was in Niemi's case (i.e. too much stuff on such a small area).

, I hear ya' ... I've been in a pretty bad mood myself lately. I do appreciate your follow-up, .