The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie and Calgary artist reveal how Apple’s iPad Pro became their creative canvas.
Few things in hockey reveal the soul of a player like a goalie mask. Beneath the bold graphics and gloss, each one is a story — a reflection of family, heritage, and identity. And for Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, his 2025–26 mask isn’t just gear. It’s a tribute to where he comes from, the goalies who inspired him, and the childhood dreams that got him here.
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His newest mask — part of Apple’s Made on iPad NHL campaign — was designed in collaboration with Calgary-based artist Jordon Bourgeault, one of six creatives chosen to reimagine NHL goalie masks using iPad Pro (M5 chip) and Apple Pencil Pro. But this project is more than a campaign. It’s a meeting point between tradition and technology, art and sport — a creative process that turned pixels into paint and nostalgia into something you can wear on the ice.
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We sat down with both Stolarz and Bourgeault for an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview about how it all came together.
A collaboration that clicked instantly
The chemistry was immediate.
“Anthony and I just had a call and started riffing ideas,” Bourgeault says. “He liked the idea of using Carlton the Bear, so I thought maybe we’d go with a polar bear that’s a little aggressive, a little intimidating. Then I found out Carlton’s actually a friendly bear,” he laughs. “So we leaned into that energy instead.”
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From there, the design evolved organically — part legacy, part personal story.
“Jordan’s the creative one,” Stolarz admits. “He came up with the Carlton idea, and I loved it. We also added a family tree with blue maple leaves representing past Leafs goalies — the guys who inspired me growing up.”
On the backplate, Anthony Stolarz added his own personal touch: a few quotes, a nod to family, and a tribute to the Rocket Power cartoon he watched as a kid.
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“The goalie in that show fascinated me,” he says. “It was a fun way to tie in a piece of my childhood. I think that’s what makes a mask special — it tells your story in ways words can’t.”
Creativity in the digital age
Jordon Bourgeault has been painting goalie masks for years, but the Apple collaboration changed everything about how he works.
“I paint the mask digitally first on iPad,” he explains. “It becomes my visual guide for when I go to physically paint it later. I’ve even started making my own brushes in Procreate. For this one, I built a bark brush so I could sketch out the tree texture in real time. It gives me precision and speed that I couldn’t get before.”
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The M5 chip in the iPad Pro also made a tangible difference.
“There’s no delay — it handles anything I throw at it,” he says. “The speed lets me fully render the artwork, not just rough sketches. It’s almost like painting twice — first digitally, then physically — and both versions help tell the story.”
And the Apple Pencil Pro?
“I’m constantly double-tapping between paint and erase,” he says. “The new barrel roll is great for curving lines — that’s how I shaped the branches on Anthony’s mask.”
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For the Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz, seeing his mask come to life digitally made the experience more personal.
“You used to just get a pencil sketch or a photo,” he laughs. “Now you can literally watch it evolve. It makes you feel part of the process.”
From iPad to ice
Despite the digital foundation, Bourgeault still hand-paints each mask — every line, every layer.
“People are surprised it’s still physically painted,” he says. “Going from a 2D digital sketch to a 3D helmet is tricky, but the iPad helps me visualize how the artwork wraps around. I even use a 3D mask template now — it’s a game changer.”
Still, some parts of the process can’t be rushed.
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“Fur is a grind,” he admits. “Digitally I can use a custom brush, but physically, it’s one stroke at a time. The big bear head took hours of patience — and a lot of coffee.”
When the final mask shipped out, Stolarz couldn’t resist a preview.
“Jordan asked if I wanted to wait and see it in person,” he says. “I told him, ‘No way. Send me the video.’ When I saw it, it was incredible. The details blew me away — even the straps were painted blue to match Carlton’s fur. It’s one of those things most people might not notice, but it stood out right away.”
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He wore it the next day in practice — and again in a game that week.
“I take a lot of pride in my masks,” he adds. “They’re part of who I am — a little flashy, but full of meaning.”
First impressions: The fans took notice
If the collaboration’s goal was to turn heads, consider that mission accomplished. Within hours of the first on-ice reveal, Leafs fans flooded social media with praise — and a few laughs — for Anthony Stolarz’s new polar-bear-themed mask.
On Reddit’s r/leafs thread, one user called it “like Cujo but cuddlier,” while another crowned it a “certified beautician.” Several fans zeroed in on the subtle details, from the “oreo-style” white cage interior to the blue-painted clips matching Carlton the Bear’s fur. The general verdict? “Best Leafs mask we’ve seen in years.”
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Over on Instagram, posts featuring the fresh look racked up thousands of likes, with comments such as “the perfect blend of classic and modern” and “this mask is pure Toronto energy.” Even the Goaltender Mask Collector Facebook community chimed in, praising Bourgeault’s precision work and calling the design “a future fan-favourite collectible.”
Local outlet Maple Leafs Daily summed it up best, noting that Toronto’s goalies “turned heads with striking new mask art” during practice, with Stolarz’s blue-white polar bear leading the charge.
It’s proof that when art meets the ice — especially in a city like Toronto — fans notice every brushstroke.
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A peek behind the scenes on screen
Just days ago, Anthony Stolarz starred in Season 11, Episode 2 of The Leaf: Blueprint YouTube series, titled “Unmasked,” where he went even deeper into the mask’s story.
In the episode, he tours the team’s artifact-filled archive, discusses his sharp chrome design and his personal backplate mottos, and reflects on the evolution of the goalie mask.
It’s a vivid companion to the visual process you just read about — showing the same artistry, tradition and tech meeting in real time.
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Why it matters
For Bourgeault, this collaboration shines a light on a form of artistry that often goes unnoticed.
“In hockey, players rarely get to express their personality,” he says. “Everything’s team colours and logos. Goalie masks are different — they’re the one place you can tell your story. And Apple spotlighting that through this campaign is huge.”
For Stolarz, it’s about seeing how creativity and technology can coexist in the most unexpected spaces.
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“It’s the only piece of gear that shows who you are,” he says. “The iPad and Apple Pencil don’t just make the process easier — they make it more collaborative. You can see your ideas evolve and actually be part of creating something that represents you.”
A modern art form
At its core, this project celebrates the creative process — one that bridges sport, design, and storytelling. It’s not just about performance on the ice, but expression beyond it.
“It’s not just a mask,” Stolarz says. “It’s part of my identity.”
And that’s what makes this Made on iPad campaign feel so different — not as a tech showcase, but as a story about how modern tools can preserve the soul of an age-old craft. A goalie mask may protect the face, but for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz, it also reveals what’s behind it.
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