Antoine Bibeau has a new shiny piece of armour.
The P.E.I. Rocket netminder showed off the new paint job on his mask Thursday night against the Drummondville Voltigeurs after receiving it the day before from the Quebec artist.
“I was pretty happy,” Bibeau said Friday. “We asked him to do something about the Rocket and on the back plate I asked for the breast cancer logo and the P.E.I. map. He did a pretty good job.”
The provincial map was one of the items that came in this fall from a call for suggestions.
“I want to thank all the fans who gave me some ideas at the beginning of the season,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with my new helmet.”
Bibeau said the pink breast cancer logo has special meaning to him.
“It’s important for me because last year my grandmother died of cancer,” he said. “It’s pretty important for me and my family.”
Bibeau (21-11-1) is sixth in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a 2.88 goals-against average while stopping 91 per cent of the shots he has faced.
It’s important for me because last year my grandmother died of cancer. It’s pretty important for me and my family. - Antoine Bibeau
He played three games with Lewiston in 2010-11 and was picked up by Gatineau in the dispersal draft. He was subsequently traded to the Rocket for a fourth-round pick.
“When I came here last year the team gave me a white helmet, but we never did a paint job,” said the six-foot-two, 210-pound goalie. “I feel more part of the Rocket with a Rocket mask.”
The Rocket is in Moncton tonight to play the Wildcats at 7 p.m. They return home Sunday to host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 3 p.m.
P.E.I. enters this weekend with 11 games remaining in the regular season.
“We’re fighting for home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, so every game is important for us,” Bibeau said.
