Andrew Hammond pays tribute to ‘Butterfly Child’ on new mask

Andrew Hammond’s new mask features the Hamburglar, the McDonald’s logo and Alfred E. Neuman, but what makes the new helmet special is the tribute on the back. Hammond included a nod to Jonathan Pitre, the ‘Butterfly Child,’ on the back panel of the mask.

With a nickname like ‘Hamburglar,’ it was pretty obvious what was going to be the main focus of

Andrew Hammond’s new mask. But it’s the tribute on the back that really stands out. Hammond unveiled his brand new lid for the upcoming campaign through his Twitter account Tuesday, and the mask has all the staples one would be looking for. It has the McDonald’s character which shares the same nickname, the Hamburglar, swinging through a brick wall, it has ‘Hammy’ across the chin with the famed McDonald’s golden arches making up the M’s in the middle and one panel has the Senators’ logo. In addition, the mask also combines MAD Magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman with the Hamburglar to give the mischievous McDonald’s character a different look. But among all of those artistic touches, it’s the tribute on the back of the mask that’s most eye-catching.

During the 2014-15 campaign, a 14-year-old Senators fan named Jonathan Pitre signed a one-day contract with the team and spent the day alongside his hockey heroes and watching the game alongside GM Bryan Murray. Pitre suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare condition that makes his skin fragile and causes it to blister. Children inflicted with the condition are often referred to as ‘Butterfuly Children,’ due to the fragility of the skin. Pitre’s story captured the hearts of the hockey world, and he would go on to appear at June’s NHL Awards and during a TSN broadcast. Pitre made quite the impact on Hammond, too. And, in designing his new mask with

Jason Bartziokas, the Senators’ star goaltender added a small touch to honor his young friend and inspiration, with the initials ‘JP’ next to a butterfly. If Hammond gets a new mask each season, Pitre could have a couple more tributes coming his way before the netminder is on his way out of Ottawa. This off-season, the Senators inked Hammond to a three-year, $4.05 million deal. Hammond posted an incredible 20-1-2 record, 3 shutouts, a 1.79 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in 24 appearances with Ottawa. Were it not for Hammond’s play, the Senators may not have made the post-season.