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Goalie immortalizes heroes on mask

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Matthew Trulsen holds up his custom-painted goalie mask

When Matthew Trulsen takes to the ice, he doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.

On Trulsen’s custom painted goalie mask reside Cam Neely, Brendan Morrison, Andrew Ladd and Greg Moore.

His heroes are always with him on the ice, providing a constant reminder of the hard work necessary to play at his best.

“Hopefully one day I can be a hometown hero just like them,” says Trulsen, who played for the  Ridge Meadows peewee A2 hockey team last season.

The mask was airbrushed by Maple Ridge artist Curtis Hamm and features the likenesses of some of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows’ finest athletes in action.

“It turned out better than we could have imagined,” says Matthew’s mother, Lorraine. “That will cover his birthday and Christmas presents for a while, but the helmet should last him for a good 10 years.”

The goalie mask looks so impressive, Trulsen has been hesitant to wear it in action.

“I wish I had two, that way I could wear one and keep the other safe,” he says.

Trulsen said he chose the four local athletes not just because of their athletic prowess, but because they never forgot where they were from.

“It’s inspiring playing in the same rink as them,” says Trulsen. “I saw how hard every one of them works, and that makes me want to work hard, too.”

Trulsen got the idea for the mask after giving a presentation on who his hometown heroes are to his Grade 6 class at Laity View elementary in Maple Ridge.

“I used to watch Morrison when he played for the Canucks, and every time I go to a Ridge Meadows Flames game, I see his jersey hanging there,” he says. “I got to meet Andrew Ladd last summer when he won the Stanley Cup.”

In addition to being a hall-of-famer, Cam Neely is the uncle of one of Trulsen’s best friends.

While he was too young to see Greg Moore race, Trulsen says he wanted to include his likeness as a memorial for the young race car driver.

“I read a lot about what happened to him and I’ve seen videos of his races,” says Trulsen. “He was really inspiring because he was such a good driver, and he worked really hard to get there.”

Moore also played hockey as child growing up in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, and Trulsen says it’s a great feeling to step out onto the ice where so many great players have skated before him.

Trulsen said he hopes to show the mask to Ladd, Neely, Morrison, and Moore’s father.

“Someday I hope I’ll be as good as they are,” he says.