Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Goalie Mask Guy In Sweden

12/19/2023 at 6:15pm EST

from Anthony Gharib of ESPN,

Many years ago, moos and oinks filled this bright red barn.

Set in the countryside of Sweden in Sävsjö, it served as an integral part of a farm owned by Swedish artist David Gunnarsson's grandfather. Now, the barn is the dedicated area where Gunnarsson paints the masks of some of the NHL's top goaltenders.

He's set up over a thousand square feet for his painting supplies. Airbrushes and paint dominate spaces where cows and pigs once roamed. He made it clear that there aren't any animals around while he paints.

"Well, sometimes our dog will come and visit," Gunnarsson said.

For the past 27 years, Gunnarsson has played a key role in evolving goalie masks from featureless Jason Voorhees styles into canvases of everything from glow-in-the-dark art to Lego Batman.

His eye-popping and creative designs are unique to the sport of hockey....

Through the years, Gunnarsson has painted for top NHL goalies such as Henrik Lundqvist and Dominik Hasek. In the 2014 Olympic gold-medal match, he designed the masks worn by both goalies: Sweden's Lundqvist and Canada's Carey Price. He also recently designed a mask honoring Lundqvist's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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