Feature Photo: Getty Images

Few, if any, pieces of sporting equipment are as iconic as the goalie mask – a look that has evolved from its simplest form to literal works of art.

Ahead of what will be his 37th NHL career outing, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Joseph Woll can’t mask his excitement over a new look he will sport this 2024-25 season.

Woll, has long been fascinated with goalie masks.

“It’s that feeling of being able to express the things I genuinely love in this life and being comfortable in expressing that to the world,” he said of his masks over the years, both before and throughout his NHL career.

“It’s a very human thing, to get more and more comfortable in your own skin over time and being able to share what you are passionate about.”

Which is what Woll has done through his work with renowned goalie mask artist David Gunnarsson and his company, Dave Art.

“I must have been 14 or 15 when I first found out about Dave Art and it was always a dream that one day I would have a mask painted by him,” said Woll.

Gunnarsson, along with other artists, collaborated with seven NHL goalies to bring their creative vision to life on the ice.

Woll is featured alongside the six other NHL netminders, including Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks), Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), Sam Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens), Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils) and Stuart Skinner (Edmonton Oilers) in Apple’s “Made on iPad” campaign, which invites hockey fans to see how the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro were used to create the designs on their respective masks.

Gunnarsson designed four of the masks. In addition to Woll’s, he also worked on the designs for Ullmark, Skinner and Swayman. Jordon Bourgeault designed for Montembeault and Markstrom while Travis Michael designed for Demko.

Over the coming weeks, Apple will feature seven short films that show the process of how each mask was designed. 

“All through college, I remember wanting Dave to paint one of my masks so badly,” recalled Woll.

“When Spencer Knight came to Boston College after I left, his first mask, in his freshman year, was painted by Dave Art. I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ The whole time I was so jealous.

“As soon as I turned pro and had the option to use Dave, it was very cool for me.”

The end result of the collaboration between Woll and Gunnarsson is a visual masterpiece.

Designed to evoke a feeling of calm, inspired by his pregame meditation, Woll’s mask showcases serene mountain landscapes, including the depiction of a Norwegian rock formation called the Troll’s Tongue, in recognition of his enjoyment of hiking and the outdoors. A grand piano sits atop the mountain as a nod to his passion for music.  

“For this mask, especially, I put a lot of thought and personality into it, so I was very happy with how Dave brought it to life. I emailed him a lot and I had a long list of things to share, plus a lot of photos, but he did an amazing job.”

Gunnarsson enjoyed working together with Woll on the project.

“It is awesome to work with Joseph. I have worked with him for many years. He is very creative and came up with very cool stuff for his masks.”

Woll, the third-round pick of the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, spent hours researching what he wanted to have included on the mask.

The goal was for it to be an authentic showcase of his personality and personal interests.

“It is the particulars that make the mask special to me.

“On one side, I have Mont Blanc [the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe]. I did a really cool loop around the Alps last summer, and I wanted to have Mont Blanc on the mask from the perspective I saw it when I was in Chamonix Valley. I remember driving in for the first time and that mountain was unlike anything I had ever seen.”

The other side of the mask depicts Woll’s affinity for nature and music, including the scenery of Troll’s Tongue.

“What inspired that was the artist Kygo,” said Woll, of the Norwegian DJ, songwriter and record producer. “On his most recent album, he did an entire concert performed on Troll’s Tongue, which is this little ledge on the mountains in Norway. So, it fits into the theme of mountains, which is where I enjoy spending a lot of time.

“I also love Kygo, music and playing piano, so there is a piano on that ledge. All parts of that Troll’s Tongue are special and very personal for me.”

The artwork on the top of the mask is just as meaningful to Woll.

“There are some stars, and we tried to do some Northern Lights-esque work on the top of the mask – I have always been fascinated with space and the physics of space – so all my hobbies and interests were put together on one mask.”

Woll, who signed a three-year contract with Toronto this July, will also sport a mask this season that acknowledges former Maple Leafs standout Curtis Joseph, who was known as Cujo during his NHL days.

It is also a tribute to a treasured childhood hockey memory.

“I remember my first-ever mask, it was a black dog-wolf mask. That was the first one I ever had. This year, my other mask, which Dave also painted, is a wolf, which is a little homage to my first mask, and it also works with the mask Cujo wore – it’s kind of sweet.”

Working in concert with Gunnarsson to create both masks was exactly how Woll envisioned it would be.

Perhaps even better.

“Dave is amazing. What he does is truly a work of art – just how detailed and creative he is. It is unbelievable to see what he can create on a helmet. It’s special.

“Bringing that authenticity to sport is something that is very special to me.”

And for the man who gets to see his work come to life at NHL arenas across the league.

“It is always lovely to see my paintings on a mask in an NHL game, it feels unreal,” said Gunnarsson, who started his mask work when he was 20.

“It is a dream for me to work with my biggest passion, to paint, as a full-time job for so many years.”

Although his recent finished products are a long way from Woll’s teenage experiences with goalie masks, one thing has remained unchanged with the process.

“When [Dallas Stars goaltender] Jake Oettinger and I were with the U.S. National team in Ann Arbor, we got fitted for our masks – they basically put a big mold of plaster on your face – back when we were 16.

“I am still using the same mold, so I hope my head hasn’t changed that much since then.”

Not in this latest creation, a project that was, in every sense, a perfect fit.