Behind The Mask: Lovisa Berndtsson
A saint, a starry sky, and a personal motto keep Djurgården’s netminder focused on the prize.
Pro tip: when preparing to interview a goaltender about their mask art, research their city’s patron saints first. The Ice Garden learned this the hard way when talking to Djurgården’s Lovisa Berndtsson for our Behind The Mask series.
“It’s not a woman, it’s Saint Eric,” Berndtsson corrected through laughter. “He is the symbol for Stockholm. I was like, ‘do I have a woman on my mask?’”
The entire mask pays homage to the Swedish capital and Berndtsson’s hometown. Painted by David Gunnarsson, also known as DaveArt, the mask is one of his first forays into women’s hockey. Others include AIK’s Minatsu Murase, Luleå’s Anna Amholt, and HV71’s Sabina Eriksson.
“I just felt that, ‘damn I want a DaveArt mask,’” said Berndtsson. “So, I contacted him and just talked to him and saw how it works for him, and he was super excited to start helping the women’s goalies.”
The classic Djurgården club colors serve as a backdrop for some of Stockholm’s iconic landmarks. Look closer at the starry blue sky on each side and one can pick out City Hall and Ericsson Globe Arena among others. The Tre Kronor rest neatly on the side, Saint Eric has his place in the gold, and the red is home to the DIF shield. The top reads “Stockholms Stolthet:” Stockholm’s Pride.
The backplate carries a little quip that every goaltender can relate to. “I have a quote that I’ve had on my four last masks,” Berndtsson explained. “My goal is to deny yours.”
Djurgården starts their SDHL semifinal series against Luleå on March 21 at 7:00.
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