As InGoal was hitting publish on this post, Carolina Hurricanes Goaltender Cam Ward was opening up a package from FedEx – even for an NHL goalie it must feel like Christmas morning – that contained this fantastic new helmet and artwork for the 2011-2012 season. Like all of his masks this one was painted by Steve Nash of EyeCandyAir.com on a Sportmask Pro Custom helmet.

In an Email to InGoal, Nash commented on the mask saying that this season it,

“… is an evolution of Cam’s iconic Blackbeard character that I originally created for him back in 2008. This year the paint scheme features a pearl black base to compliment the ‘Canes alternative jersey while giving the mask more of an ominous vibe. It’s always a lot of fun working with Cam because he really loves getting involved with the creative process of his radical designs!”

Along with a new version of Blackbeard, you’ll notices specks all over these images that, unfortunately, don’t look nearly the same here as they do in person. They are in fact “diamond dust” and in person or under the bright lights of an arena they reflect and shine with amazing clarity – popping off the mask unlike anything you’ve seen before on the ice!

And for more of Nash’s fantastic work please follow @eyecandyair on Twitter and “like” their Facebook page today. You can also click on the pictures to go direct to their Ward page.