Me and My Goalie Mask
CAM WARD
CarolinaHurricanes
AFTER THEstylized Hurricanes flag on each side and a 3-D image of the team logo on thefront, things get personal. On the rear of Ward's helmet, along with his number30, is a small cross and the name frank ward, his grandfather, who died lastyear while Cam was in the AHL playoffs. "I tried to not get too crazy,"says Ward, a devout Baptist who prays before each game. "Just a couple ofthings that are important to me."
ILYABRYZGALOV
Anaheim MightyDucks
BRYZGALOV ALWAYShas a three-duck night. "On my mask I have Daffy Duck (above) because he isa funny duck and I'm a funny guy. I have Darkwing Duck [of the early 1990scartoon series], who is a hero. I want to be a hero. And there's ScroogeMcDuck. He's rich. I want to be rich," says Bryzgalov, who earned $456,000this season. The rookie designed the mask himself, complete with a flag of hisnative Russia on the back and his nickname-surprise! It's Bryz-on the chin.
RYAN MILLER
BuffaloSabres
HE'S LIVING thehigh life now-a 9-3 playoff record through Sunday-so it's fitting that he hasmiller time written on the back of his mask. The 25-year-old also has a lizardto signify, he says, a creature that doesn't think, just acts. And in tributeto his cousin Matt Schoals, 16, who has leukemia (in remission), Miller hasmatt man below a bulldog (Matt wants one). The dog is wearing a hat and sweaterfrom Miller's alma mater, Michigan State.
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The Pop CultureGrid
How do sports stars fit in? | People say I look like … | Place I'd like to road trip to | Season finale I've most looked forward to | Song I can't get out of my head | People would laugh if they saw me ... | Least favorite food? |
JIM THOME | Larry Bird | Hawaii | American Idol | No song in my head | Sing | German food (bratwurst, left) |
WILLIE RANDOLPH Mets Manager | Jeffrey Osborne | San Diego | Sopranos (above) | Ain't No Stopping Us Now | Cook | Liver |
KARA LAWSON Monarchs G | My dad, William | Capetown, South Africa | 24 | Something More (Sugarland) | Sing or dance | Liver |
BRANDON WEBB | Brandon Lyon (D-Backs pitcher) | Vegas | Grey's Anatomy | Dani California (Red Hot Chili Peppers, left) | Play the guitar | Cabbage |
NINETEEN PHOTOS
LOU CAPOZZOLA (WARD'S MASK, 2); DAVID E. KLUTHO (BRYZGALOV'S MASK); BILL WIPPERT (MILLER, MILLER'S MASK, 2); CHARLES LABERGE/GETTY IMAGES (WARD); REED SAXON/AP (BRYZGALOV); JOHN IACONO (FERGUSON); JOHN BIEVER (THOME); CHUCK SOLOMON (RANDOLPH); FRANCIS SPECKER/AP (KARA LAWSON); KHAMPHA BOUAPHANH/AP (WEBB); JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (BIRD); KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES (OSBORNE); ROBERT BECK (WILLIAM LAWSON); JOHN MEDINA/WIREIMAGE.COM (LYON); KARL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' FLEA); MARTIN DIEBEL/FSTOP/GETTY IMAGES (SAUSAGE); HBO/THE KOBAL COLLECTION (SOPRANOS)