Mike McKenna's New Mask is... Gritty
Mike McKenna – who described himself as “The biggest suitcase to ever play the game” – has had a whirlwind career, having played in 21 different cities for 19 different organizations. Anthony SanFilippo and I learned in our face-to-face interview with McKenna on Snow the Goalie that while some teams don’t let players keep their jerseys, he’s kept one thing from every team: his mask.
When McKenna was claimed off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks back on January 4th, the running joke was the hodgepodge of mismatched equipment McKenna had accumulated. In McKenna’s first appearance taking the ice for the Orange & Black as part of the pregame skate, he donned a Darth Vader-esque all-black look:
Newest #Flyers goalie Mike McKenna wearing a jet black goalie mask & black pads with white diagonal stripes & orange side highlights. #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/YUqreadvV4
— Anthony Mingioni (@AnthonyMingioni) January 5, 2019
Now, having settled in as Carter Hart’s backup, McKenna received his new, Gritty-inspired mask from the (man?) himself:
A pregame @GrittyNHL delivery for @MikeMcKenna56! #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/6tQo3WKZVY
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 16, 2019
A detailed look after the jump:
Here is @NHLFlyers goaltender Mike McKenna’s new mask delivered today. @InGoalMedia @GoalieGearNerd pic.twitter.com/EgPhVX9ZHr
— Jason Myrtetus (@jasonmyrt) January 16, 2019
Plus, Gritty even autographed it!
DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!
Thanks @GrittyNHL! pic.twitter.com/FUUckNI9S5
— Mike McKenna (@MikeMcKenna56) January 17, 2019
Mike McKenna is a really interesting guy and a heck of an interview. Check out the newest episode of Snow The Goalie to learn more about his whirlwind career, the human side of hockey, paying for his own jerseys, his future in sports broadcasting, his family’s racing heritage, and his love of cooking.
https://art19.com/shows/snow-the-goalie-a-flyers-podcast/episodes/e2b87d05-b835-4a77-b42f-a5e1166465f8