Bernard Hopkins, Joe Frazier, Rocky Balboa on New Flyers Goalie's Mask

This is a completely random boxing-related item, and it's a week old, which is ancient in internet terms. Nevertheless, it's so cool I had to post and link to it.

Newly signed Flyers goalie Ray Emery has decided to go with a tribute to Philadelphia boxing history as the paint job on his mask for the beginning of the 2009-10 NHL season. It's got Bernard Hopkins on the left side, Joe Frazier on the right, and even fictional Philly great Rocky Balboa on the back.

For those of you who don't follow hockey, Emery is known as one of the more, shall we say, combative goaltenders around, and his time with the Ottawa Senators had its share of fights with both opponents and teammates. That makes it entirely appropriate for him to go the boxer route as he tries to start off on the right foot in Philadelphia.

Emery has had boxers on his masks before too. He had a Mike Tyson design ready to go four seasons ago but ended up wearing it for only one game after Ottawa management decided it was in appropriate (back when Ray was still on speaking terms with said management!). He's since had Muhammad Ali, George Chuvalo and Floyd Mayweather on his head at various times.

Posted by The Franchise