Eddie Lack’s new mask features Roberto Luongo’s face

Eddie Lack, who was dealt from the Vancouver Canucks to the Carolina Hurricanes less than two weeks ago, has unveiled a piece of his new mask and it contains a smiling Roberto Luongo. That’s right: on his mask, Lack, a Hurricanes netminder, has a picture of Luongo, the Florida Panthers’ goaltender.

One of the biggest stories of the 2013-14 season was the goaltending controversy in Vancouver revolving around Eddie Lack, then a rookie, and Roberto Luongo. Throughout the whole ordeal, however, the two netminders made it evident that while they competed on the ice, they were close friends away from the rink.

Luongo was eventually shipped off to the Florida Panthers before the 2013-14 trade deadline and Lack, after being part of another crowded crease this past season, was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes less than two weeks ago. Even though they’re in different cities, though, Lack is making sure they’ll never be too far apart.

Wednesday evening, Lack, 27, unveiled a piece of his new mask for the upcoming season. While other goaltenders feature family, flags and accomplishments on the back of their masks, Lack’s will feature his old pal, Luongo, smiling ear to ear. That’s not a joke. Seriously, Lack has Luongo’s face on his mask for next season. Take a look:

Other netminders can stop trying now because Lack has locked up the award the funniest mask of the upcoming season. The full mask, which is being designed by David Gunnarsson of DaveArt, hasn’t been released yet, but the sneak peek is great, especially considering the content.

Lack has long been one of the more wacky goaltenders in the league, especially on social media, but this takes the cake. The thing is, you’d expect most of this hilarious stuff from a goaltender that spent most of his time riding the pine, but Lack has actually suited up for 82 games over the past two seasons, posting a 34-30-9 record with six shutouts, 2.43 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. While he might not be a top 10 goaltender in the NHL, he’s more than an average backup.

Now, fittingly, he’s definitely got more than an average mask.