New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markström is honoring his new team’s namesake with his mask design for the 2024-25 season.
Markström’s helmet features a depiction of the Jersey Devil, the goat-headed mythological creature said by folklore to originate in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
The Devils traded a protected first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl in order to acquire Markström from the Calgary Flames in June. He is set to make his New Jersey debut, likely as part of a tandem with Jake Allen, this fall.
Markström was dealt by the Flames on June 19. The same day, he texted goalie mask designer Jordon Bourgeault of JBo Airbrush and asked him to work on his first Devils mask, per the team’s official website.
“He did a lot of research,” Markström said, per the Devils’ website. “He came up with a lot of good ideas, so that part is obviously fun. I didn’t just want the logo. I wanted a little bit more about the story and the community, trying to get everything in there.”
The left side of the mask features pages, representing the original folklore that sparked the story of the Devil, according to the team’s website.
A scrap of paper bearing the words “The Pine Barrens” sits above Markström’s faceplate, while another on top reads “The Mother Leeds” in reference to the woman folklore says gave birth to a thirteenth child who disappeared into Pine Barrens and became the Jersey Devil.
The back of the helmet features the Pine Barrens but strays from the Jersey Devil motif with a red version of the tre kronor, the traditionally gold national emblem of his native Sweden.
Beneath the crowns are the names of Markström’s son, Clark-Marley, and an ode to his late father, according to the team’s website.
The Devils adopted their team identity in honor of the Pinelands legend in 1982 after the name won the popular vote in a poll of 10,000 fans.
That legacy will now continue through Markström, who debuted the new mask and made his first appearance for the Devils last Sunday during a preseason loss to the New York Islanders.
After a disappointing 38-win finish to the 2023-24 season saw the Devils miss the playoffs last season, New Jersey is now hoping the addition of Markström as well as the return of a healthy Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton will help push the 2024-25 team back into postseason contention.
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