Samsonov reveals Cujo-inspired mask
Published
The Toronto Maple Leafs' starting goaltender is paying homage to somebody who tended the same crease in the past.
The team revealed a new mask for Ilya Samsonov on Wednesday that is inspired by the familiar mask of Leafs legend Curtis Joseph.
The mask features a snarling dog-like creature. Joseph adopted a similar design due to his "Cujo" nickname, which derived from a 1981 Stephen King horror novel of the same name about a rabid St. Bernard.
A native of Richmond Hill, Ont., Joseph appeared in 270 games over five seasons and two stints with the Leafs. His 138 wins are fifth-most in club history.
Joseph appeared in 943 NHL games over 19 seasons from 1989 to 2009 with the Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames.
For his career, Joseph was 454-352-96. He is ranked seventh all-time in wins.
Samsonov, 26, is headed into his fifth NHL season and second with the Leafs. In 42 games last season, Samsonov was 27-10-5 with a goals against average of 2.33 and a .919 save percentage.
The Magnitogorsk, Russia native was awarded a one-year, $3.55 million deal in arbitration and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-2024 season.