There's a lot more than meets the eye on Montreal Canadiens' goaltender Jacob Fowler's new bucket, and it can tell you a lot more about the 21-year-old Florida native. Read on to learn more.
As reported earlier this week, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler has a new mask, and in a La Presse article from Tuesday morning, details about the new bucket were released. The mask was painted by Sylabrush, a company formed by partners in love and work, Alexandre Mathys and Sylvie Marsolais, who have worked with many Habs goaltenders in the past.
As you might have noticed, Fowler’s new bucket no longer features Iron Man, but rather a blue alligator with red eyes and a Canadiens’ logo on both sides. Why an alligator? Simply because he was nicknamed “Gator” back when he played in the USHL. According to The Athletic, it was given to him by a play-by-play man of a broadcast team back then. While no one called him that in the NCAA with the Boston College Eagles, Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent brought it back during the 21-year-old’s short stay with the Rocket, and it stuck again.
The nickname is also featured on both sides of the mask in white against a blue background to really pop out. As mentioned last weekend, the Sunshine State licence plate that was on his old mask’s backplate has been replaced by a Quebec licence plate, Fowler’s own idea, bearing the province’s motto “Je me souviens” and underneath it, he kept the line “Lights will guide you home” from the Coldplay song Fix You that plays for the entrance of the Canadiens’ players on home ice.
Photo credit: Sylabrush Instagram accountThose who have superior attention to detail might have noticed the 08/28 inscription in the upper-right corner of the licence plate, according to Simon-Oliver Lorange’s talk with Marsolais, that’s his brother’s birthday, while the initials “TV * JG *MG” on the upper-left corner of the back plate are a tribute to three former Boston College players who tragically died in the summer of 2024; Tony Voce, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
While the Gaudreau brothers were killed when they were run over by an allegedly drunk driver while biking, Voce died suddenly on July 8, and the cause of his passing wasn’t revealed to the public. The former pro hockey player was never drafted but signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers organization. He spent three years in the AHL before heading over to Europe, playing in Finland, Germany, and Austria before ending his career in the ECHL.
Before he turned professional, though, Voce spent four seasons playing for Boston College and led the Eagles to a national championship in 2001. In 159 games with the Eagles, he put up 167 points and 209 penalty minutes. He was voted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2022. Given his impact on the team’s history, his presence on Fowler’s mask is quite understandable.
It’s great to see goaltenders put more personal touches on their masks. Why just stick to the team logo and colour when you can add more personal touches to them that will help fans get to know you better? It’s an excellent way to let them know who they root for and what their goaltender cherishes.
The mask is yet another fantastic work of art produced by Sylabrush, and you can get a more detailed view on their Instagram page.
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