Jake Allen goes even more retro for new mask

One of the nice things about the season creeping closer is the release of new goalie gear. Last season, Jake Allen wore old-school colors for his Winter Classic pads to match the uniforms, and he decided to hold on to them for the rest of the season. Sure, they didn’t match the traditional jerseys, but they brought him luck and looked good.

This year Jake has a mask that matches, and would’ve been better suited for the Winter Classic jerseys (that we won’t see this year because Adidas). Regardless of coordination possibilities, it’s cool.

From the Blues’ official site:

"Stick with what works," Allen said. "Fans seemed to like the old-school look at the Winter Classic, so I kept that gear for the second half of last season. This year's gear is just an extension of that."

It features iconic blues musician Louis Armstrong, whose recordings of “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Saint Louis Blues” are both in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The back of his mask features several personal references to his family, pets, and to New Brunswick.

I’m always a sucker for anything that references history, and without Armstrong’s recording of St. Louis Blues the team’d be known as the St. Louis Mercury or St. Louis Apollo, and boy, do those names sound weird.