When Aiden Rose first read about the Boston Pizza/Bauer Design-a-Mask contest and looked at one of the prizes offered, he thought to himself, B次元官网网址業 could use a new road hockey goalie mask.B次元官网网址�
The 12-year-old Langford resident, whose family are somewhat regulars at the restaurant on VeteranB次元官网网址檚 Memorial Parkway, figured he could come up with a cool design for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 national junior hockey team goaltenders to wear.
He entered the contest last year but never got a call back. So, he vowed to try again and came up with several different designs this time around, incorporating such elements as a moose, a beaver, a Canadian flag, hockey sticks and the number 2016.
He was laying in bed with the stomach flu on Dec. 1 when he heard a phone message from a representative of Boston Pizza, saying that his design had been chosen as this yearB次元官网网址檚 winner in the under-13 category.
B次元官网网址淚 was so excited that I deleted the message,B次元官网网址� he says sheepishly. B次元官网网址淏ut luckily we have call display.B次元官网网址�
He and Calgary resident Jessica Tran, the winner in the older age category, were flown to Toronto last weekend to attend a exhibition game between Team Canada and a CIS all-star team, visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and be the guests of honour at a special ceremony Monday to unveil their designs and present the finished masks to the three Team Canada goalies.
Bauer mask airbrush artist David Arrigo, who enhanced the two designs and painted them on the three masks, was on hand with the designers at the event.
Winning the competition against more than 1,000 entries, as well as travelling to Toronto with his dad, Scott, has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Aiden, whoB次元官网网址檚 a Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes fan.
Visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame was especially cool, he says.
B次元官网网址淢e and my dad liked it, even though heB次元官网网址檚 not much of a hockey fan,B次元官网网址� Aiden says. What about touching the original Stanley Cup? B次元官网网址淭hat was definitely a bucket list item for me.B次元官网网址�
The Grade 7 student brought his new mask to show his classmates at Dunsmuir middle school after returning home earlier this week. Most of his hockey-playing buddies were a bit dumbfounded and didnB次元官网网址檛 say much, he says, while some were B次元官网网址渞eally jealous.B次元官网网址�
His prize mask B次元官网网址� he also received a Team Canada jersey signed by every player B次元官网网址� has the national team logos on it and should work well for road hockey, he says.
Scott Rose says their family was B次元官网网址渢hrilled that he could represent Victoria and B.C.B次元官网网址� and be part of this now-annual Hockey Canada tradition. B次元官网网址淗e was really excited and we were really humbled and honoured that he was picked.B次元官网网址�
The final design his son entered took him about three-and-a-half weeks to complete, says Scott, adding that his son has exhibited exceptional artistic talents in recent years.
B次元官网网址淗e has this natural talent B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 a left-hander and heB次元官网网址檚 been complimented by people before,B次元官网网址� he says, adding that AidenB次元官网网址檚 former teacher at Crystal View elementary even emailed congratulations on being part of the whole experience.B次元官网网址�
Winning this contest is like the gift that keeps on giving. When Christmas rolls around next year, Aiden and a guest will be front and centre to watch Team Canada hopefully win gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
And thereB次元官网网址檚 one more cool thing about it, he says. B次元官网网址淎fter a year my mask might get inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame to go in the junior team display.B次元官网网址�
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
