How to Paint a Goalie Helmet for Hockey

Jimmy Rutherford is credited with being first NHL goalie to add a little flair to his plain white goalie mask by adding some Redwings logos above the eyes. In decades since, painting goalie helmets has become common practice among goalies at all levels of the game. Some have become synonymous with the players that wore them, such as Curtis Joseph’s “Cujo” mask or Felix Potvin’s “Cat.” You, like the pros, are limited only by your imagination when it comes to painting your own helmet.

Things You'll Need

  • Scratch paper
  • Pencil
  • Screwdriver
  • Masking tape
  • Craft knife
  • Wax pencil
  • Acrylic spray paint
  • Paint makers (optional)
  • Clear coat
  • Fine and rough grit sandpaper
  • Industrial strength adhesive
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Instructions

    • 1

      Sketch some basic helmet designs on your scratch paper that reflect your personality, favorite team or team mascot, or other pastimes and hobbies. Resist the temptation to put too much detail in the paint scheme, as the final design will look too crowded and won’t show up well to players on the ice or fans in the stands.

    • 2

      Unscrew and remove the cage on the helmet and set aside. Remove the backplate, harness and harness clips and set aside. Gently remove all the mask’s interior padding and set aside. Tape all the areas you don’t wish to paint, like the mask’s interior or the attachment points for the clips.

    • 3

      Spray the mask with the dominant color of your choice. If you’re going to be using a design based on the mask’s existing paint job, draw your design on the shell with the wax pencil, then tape around the areas you don’t want to paint.

    • 4

      Allow the initial paint coat to dry completely. Use the wax pencil and tape to create any additional artwork to your design and tape as necessary. Paint and allow to dry. Continue this until all elements of your design have been painted.

    • 5

      Paint the backplate as you painted the shell. Allow to dry. Once both helmet pieces are dry, apply several coats of clear coat to the shell and backplate and allow to dry. Sand the dried glue patches where the padding used to be.

    • 6

      Heat the glue gun and glue the padding back into place, or use new padding if need be. Allow to cool, then reattach the harness, clips, cage and backplate to the shell to finish the helmet.