Photo: Amanda Bowen

Recently, a lot of Washington Capitals masks designed by Swedish airbrush artist Dave Gunnarsson have looked similar (which is kind of hard to avoid when you do a million of these). Justin Peters‘ new mask is, um, not one of those.

“In junior [hockey], my nickname was Pete-Dawg,” Peters began as he showed off his new bucket to RMNB Saturday. “That’s the whole theme behind my mask. It’s a dog, obviously. It’s got the mean teeth and stuff.”

The mask, which features a dog’s mouth wide open with yellowed, bloody canine teeth surrounding the opening of the mask, includes subtle details like the Caps weagle and stars. On the bottom of the mask, Peters’ nickname is found in a script font with a weathered look.

The Blyth, Ontario native also had a nod to his hometown and the two countries in which he resides on the back. “All my different masks do a tractor,” Peters said. “It’s something I put on every mask, a tractor to represent my hometown, and then both flags, and some guardian angels I got watching over me that aren’t with us anymore.”

“Every helmet I do I always keep the dog and then change the different themes,” he continued. “[Gunnarsson] loves doing 3-D effects with the starts and stuff. He didn’t do the collar [like on my previous masks] which I’m kind of bummed about, but I I’ll make sure to get it on the next one.”

Peters explained that the turnaround time for masks during the season is from three-and-a-half weeks to a month, which is really remarkable when you think about it.

“[Gunnarsson] brainstorms ideas and draws me up a sketch,” he said. “I just get one mask a year usually, but this year with a new team I need two because your backup mask.”

Peters added, “I know Lundqvist had a lot of masks last year, so I’m sure he turns them out quicker than that.”

Photos of Justin Peters’ New Mask

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Chris Gordon

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Chris Gordon

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Amanda Bowen

Photo: Chris Gordon

Interview by Amanda Bowen.