Team Canada's ​Braden Holtby Honours Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip with Kickass World Cup Mask

Braden Holtby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, will wear a special mask when he represents Team Canada at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.

The Capitals' goaltender from Lloydminster, Saskatoon, will pay tribute to one of his favorites, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, with a custom designed mask that is as Canadian as it gets.

Braden Holtby's mask that he will be auctioning off after the WCOH to support Gord Downie's charity of choice. — Scott Salmond (@SAMMYSAYS2010)September 9, 2016

"Everyone knows the story in Canada," Holtby told Sportsnet. "It's one of those things that has turned a positive from a negative. It's pretty amazing kind of what Canadians do. I grew up and I can have vivid memories of listening to my first Hip songs. We even had a class in school, a little part of it that was based on (the song) 'Wheat Kings'—I mean you just remember it. It's Canadian, it's the Hip, and with me being a huge music lover [it made sense].

"This being the biggest stage for hockey and a lot of Gord's songs have hockey in them, I mean it ties the two in and I think it'll be very good."

Downie, the lead singer of the Hip—one of the most popular Canadian bands ever—announced in May that he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Shortly after, The Hip began a cross-country tour across Canada that ended in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, in late August. It was their final tour as a band.

After the tournament, Holtby plans to acution off the mask and donate the money to the charity of Downie and the Hip's choice.

Holtby is coming off an unbelievable season, posting a 48-9-5 record and .922 save percentage to secure his first Vezina Trophy. He is now the most Canadian goaltender in the world.