Travis Michael works on his designs while tucked away in his Saanich studio.
The small room is crammed with his goalie mask designs, every inch taken up. It seems like a long way from professional sports.
But Michael was the one who designed the helmet worn by Thatcher Demko, the Vancouver Canucks rookie back-up goalie. Demko saved the Canucks from elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs on Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“I mean it was phenomenal,” Michael said, adding he can’t believe Demko’s stellar play during the series.
Michael met Demko through an introduction by the Victoria Royals former equipment manager Matt Auerbach. Demko and Michael starting talking about design for a goalie mask back in January. With all sports on hiatus during the start of the pandemic, it gave the duo time to come up with the perfect look.
“He and his father came up with a take on Johnny Canuck, making it a skull with goalie gear instead of the traditional Johnny Canuck, which he’s had on every single mask,” Michael said.
Michael has designed masks for other players before, including former Victoria Royals goalie Griffen Outhouse. He played 196 games for the franchise in Michael’s signature mask.
Michael, who is a goalie himself, said he designs the masks because he understands that goalies like to have a signature look.
“I mean, we’re kind of a different breed, right?” Michael joked.
Like all the various masks in his career, Demko’s mask also includes a line from a Will Ferrell movie: “if you ain’t first, you’re last,” said in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
READ MORE: Demko leads Canucks to shutout victory, forces Game 7
Mary Griffin
