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Steve Mason News & Rumors

Victory allows Mason to clear roadblock
December 31
Columbus Dispatch
 
"For Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, the atmosphere in the dressing room on Thursday after a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars was something to savor, a forgotten memory coming back to him. "It's nice to come into the room and see smiles on faces and hear some music afterward," Mason said. "It's a feeling that makes you want to get more and more of them." The Blue Jackets earned their fourth road win of the season, but it marked the first time they had won in regulation on the road and the first time they had done so with Mason in goal for a long, long time. Mason had a season-high 36 saves and was the game's first star, ending a garish personal streak away from Nationwide Arena. He had"
Mason takes practical approach after win
December 15
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason stayed later than usual at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday, but he wasn't basking in the glory of his first victory in more than a month. He was taking two liters of IV fluids to deal with intense cramping in his right quadriceps. It worked wonders. Mason had a bounce in his step yesterday, even as he vowed to keep both feet on the ground. "I'm good," Mason said. "It was a nice to go to bed with a good feeling, finally. But I just kept telling myself, 'This is a process. It's only one game. I just need to be ready for the next start.'?" Mason spent 12 straight games on the bench, including two because of concussion-like symptoms, before a 2-1 shootout"
Blue Jackets' Mason set to get back in net
December 13
Columbus Dispatch
 
"This was supposed to be the season that the goal-starved Blue Jackets took some pressure off their franchise goaltender, Steve Mason. The team went on an offseason spending spree and acquired high-priced punch in the form of center Jeff Carter and defenseman James Wisniewski. But the pour-it-on Blue Jackets have yet to materialize. Mason, often the victim of wave after wave of odd-man rushes and meager goal support, has paid the price. His mediocre numbers of the past two seasons dipped during a horrendous autumn start. That led to a 12-game stretch on the bench when backup Curtis Sanford took over as the starter."
Mason sits patiently while Sanford excels
December 3
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason spent his offseason deconstructing his game under new position coach Ian Clarke. Now, after a brutal start to the season, Mason is trying to decompress. Curtis Sanford, one of the few uplifting stories to emerge this season, made his ninth consecutive start last night against the Oilers. "You can look at it two ways," Mason said. "Nobody wants to sit on the bench. That's pretty obvious. "But this is time I'm taking to work on some things, and just sitting back and kind of letting all the negative feelings that have transpired during the early portion of the season, with all the losing, just kind of dwindle away. I'm just focusing on coming back fresh and"
Steve Mason ready when needed
November 29
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason barely recalls the shot that rattled his mask and sent him flopping forward during a morning skate last week. But he vividly remembers the strange sensation that followed. "I couldn't get back up," Mason said. "It's hard to explain. You just lose all of your motor skills. You don't know what you're doing." Mason missed three games, but he was cleared to return to action on Sunday and served as Curtis Sanford's backup in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. He will back up Sanford again tonight in Vancouver against the Canucks. "I'm not sure if it was a concussion," Mason said, "but we dealt with it as if it was. "I just had headaches for a couple of days"
Mason still not ready
November 23
Columbus Dispatch
 
"oaltender Steve Mason did not travel with the Blue Jackets to New Jersey yesterday, meaning rookie Allen York will back up Curtis Sanford tonight against the Devils. But early signs indicate that Mason, believed to have a mild concussion, will not be out of the lineup long term, general manager Scott Howson said. "It doesn't appear to be too serious, but concussions are tricky to predict," Howson said. "We all decided it would be better for him to not travel. He'll see a doctor in Columbus, and we'll take it from there. He could be in uniform on Friday (against Buffalo), but we don't know that yet." Mason was struck in the mask by a Rick Nash slap shot during the morning skate on Monday, a"
Steve Mason Likely Concussed
November 23
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Goaltender Steve Mason did not travel with the Blue Jackets to New Jersey today, a precaution taken for what the club believes is some degree of concussion. Mason was struck in the helmet by a puck fired during the morning skate on Monday. "I don't think he was any worse this morning," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson said. "I got an update in the morning, and it doesn't appear to be too serious. But concussions are tricky to predict. "We all decided it would be better for him to not travel. He'll see a doctor (Wednesday) in Columbus and we'll take it from there. He could be in uniform on Friday (vs. Buffalo), but we don't know that yet.""
Jackets' Steve Mason Injured at Morning Skate, Will Not Play Tonight
November 21
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The Blue Jackets morning skate took an ugly turn less only 20 minutes into the proceedings. A Rick Nash shot rattled the mask of goaltender Steve Mason, sending Mason to his elbows and knees and requiring help from trainers. Mason, who left the skate under his own power, will not play tonight because of a head injury, coach Scott Arniel said. Allen York has been recalled from minor-league Springfield and will serve as Curtis Sanford's back-up tonight vs. the Calgary Flames."
Mason pulled after 11 shots; Jackets can't clean up mess
November 4
Columbus Dispatch
 
"During a nightmarish first month of the season, goaltender Steve Mason was neither bad enough to blame nor good enough to pull the Blue Jackets out of the muck. But last night, in a start that harkened back to some of his worst performances of the past two seasons, Mason grabbed the steering wheel of this careening jalopy and drove it directly into a culvert. The Toronto Maple Leafs eased their way to a 4-1 win before 14,306 in Nationwide Arena. A running clock would have been handy over the final 30 minutes. "It wasn't a good night," Mason said. "We outplayed them and their goaltender made key saves and we weren't able to capitalize. "Obviously I didn't do my part tonight.""
Blue Jackets' Mason tries to ignore criticism
October 27
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The Blue Jackets' dressing room was no longer a highly pressurized container yesterday. An out-of-nowhere 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday replaced the gnashing of teeth with relaxed smiles and an eagerness for practice. Nobody had a bigger bounce in his step than goaltender Steve Mason, even though he had an ice bag strapped to the left shoulder he injured early in the game. "The shoulder feels OK," Mason said. "It's really nothing that I'm concerned about." Winning is a remarkable balm. The Blue Jackets' losing streak was 0-7-1, but that counts only the start of this season. It's easy to forget that the Jackets ended last season with six straight losses (0-4-2), too. As"
Jackets 4, Wings 1: Mason shakes off injury, rookies provide spark in team's first win
October 26
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The arrival of defenseman James Wisniewski to the Blue Jackets lineup, and all that he brings — the swagger, the Napoleon field gun shot, the quick, deft passes out of the defensive zone — were clearly a lift for a down-in-the-dumps club last night. But the biggest boost of all might have come from a surprise visitor to the dressing room only minutes before the Blue Jackets were set to take the ice against the Detroit Red Wings. Majority owner John P. McConnell stepped before the players with a message they described as brief, pointed and inspirational. "He said he still believes in everything we're doing and he believes in every guy in the room," captain Rick Nash said."
Mason has little room for error
October 20
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason was scheduled to have his first night off on Tuesday, but a groin injury to backup Curtis Sanford put him in net for another loss. Like the Jackets (0-5-1), Mason is winless. He ranks 34th in save percentage (.883) and 33rd in goals-against average (3.34). But he said he liked much of what took place in front of him during a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. "We did a lot of good things," Mason said. "Hopefully, that carries over into Detroit (on Friday)." Coach Scott Arniel said he has not lost confidence in Mason, instead pointing to the Jackets' offense. They have scored two goals in every game and are tied for 25th in scoring. "When you're scoring two"
Mason's size can be a big advantage
October 7
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Steve Mason is blessed with a build that would fit in almost any pro sport, but his lithe yet powerful frame makes him especially suited to be a hockey goaltender. Blue Jackets goaltending coach Ian Clark, hired in June, made sure to quickly remind his newest charge that a 6-foot-4, 211-pound body is a real bonus in net. "He has the size; he has the bulk," Clark said. "He is a real good technical goalie. He can work in a small space very effectively." Clark, tasked with helping Mason regain the form that made him the Calder Trophy winner as the NHL rookie of the year in 2008-09, has a plan: downsize Mason's workplace, decreasing how far he ranges from the arc of the goal crease and making"
New-look Jackets still dependent on Mason
September 13
Columbus Dispatch
 columnist Michael Arace
"It was media day in Nationwide Arena yesterday. The Blue Jackets had a luncheon and then made available general manager Scott Howson, coach Scott Arniel and players Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette and Steve Mason. They were smiling. The ice is down. Autumn beckons. Physicals are on Friday, training camp gets under way on Saturday and never have the Jackets appeared so formidable or felt so legitimate. There is a newly pumped, $61?million payroll featuring some prime acquisitions. Is this a playoff team? Ah, that is the question. And the answer may be found where it is usually found, and that is between the pipes — specifically in this case, between Mason's ears. Mason is"
Futures Of Mason, Howson Tied
August 11
Columbus Dispatch
 
"In an offseason of decisive action, general manager Scott Howson's boldest move was the one he didn't make. Before the Twitter neophyte introduced new additions Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, Vinny Prospal and Radek Martinek to his 5,821 followers, Howson needed to decide whether Steve Mason was still the Blue Jackets goaltender. Not an easy choice for a general manager who has to know another season without the playoffs is likely his last. Mason was the Calder Trophy winner in 2009 leading the Jackets to their only playoff appearance. He's been among the league's most inconsistent players since. He's resembled a franchise building block on some nights and a guy trying to swat a swarm of"
Mason's play keeps Jackets guessing
March 9
Columbus Dispatch
 
"It wasn't Scott Arniel's most articulate answer, but the ambiguous words seemed a precise fit for the puzzling subject. With a month remaining in the regular season, the Blue Jackets first-year coach was asked yesterday if he knew what he had in goaltender Steve Mason. "Kinda, sorta," Arniel said smiling. When it comes to the Jackets' third-year goalie, there aren't many definitive statements that can be made. Mason helped return the Jackets to playoff contention by compiling a 7-1 record with a 1.75 goals-against average and .942 save percentage from Feb. 4-25. He has looked like anything but a franchise goalie in his past four starts, however, struggling in two shootout losses, being"
Mason is ill but not ruled out to play
February 16
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Over the past five days, Blue Jackets equipment manager Tim LeRoy has suited up as a goaltender for more practices than the club's No.1 goalie, Steve Mason. That's a worrisome sign for a club in the heat of a postseason race. Mason did not practice yesterday after being diagnosed with bronchitis and a touch of the flu on Monday. But coach Scott Arniel said it's still possible Mason will play tonight against the Los Angeles Kings in Nationwide Arena. "He came in (yesterday) and was feeling a lot better, and I'm sure he'll be good for (tonight)," Arniel said. General manager Scott Howson said the team had no plans to recall a goaltender from minor-league Springfield. That would seem to"
Progress elusive for Mason
February 3
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Long before the ice storm turned central Ohio sidewalks into luge runs and driveways into treacherous terrain, Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason was having difficulty gaining traction. Throughout the season, short stretches of decent play have been followed by inevitable slipups like the one Tuesday in the Jackets' 7-4 loss to the Blackhawks. Mason was pulled from a start for an NHL-high sixth time - tying him with New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Ottawa's Brian Elliott - after allowing five goals on 22 shots. The final goal came short-handed late in the second period and illustrated the dubious connection between suspect defense and goaltending. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews"
Steve Mason sits with injury
January 11
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason has endured his share of struggles the past two seasons, but at least he had his health. That changed this past weekend. Mason will miss tonight's home game against the Phoenix Coyotes because of a strained groin muscle he suffered Friday at Anaheim. It's an unnerving injury for goalies who rely on flexibility and quick leg movements to kick out pucks. "It's not an all-out blowout like some guys go through and are gone for a while," coach Scott Arniel said. "We're trying to give him some rest and get him ready for the weekend series against Detroit." Mathieu Garon will start tonight. The Blue Jackets have recalled goaltender David LeNeveu from"
Ex-goalies weigh in on Mason's woes
December 20
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Drawing on the history of great goaltenders who required taking a step back, Darren Pang believes the Blue Jackets should send Steve Mason to the minors to regain his confidence. Drawing on nearly 40 years of NHL experience as a goalie and broadcaster, Glenn "Chico" Resch thinks Mason would benefit from a fresh set of eyes analyzing his game. Drawing on a 1980s movie analogy, Daryl Reaugh says the Jackets need to keep putting Mason in the danger zone until his talents propel him. "It's like Maverick in Top Gun, you keep sending him back up until he breaks through." said Reaugh, an analyst for Versus and the Dallas Stars. "This kid is way too good to be struggling like he is." While four"
Backup Stars goalie knows Mason's plight
December 19
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Last night, goaltenders Andrew Raycroft and Steve Mason found themselves in the same position - sitting on the bench in Nationwide Arena, donning baseball caps instead of masks. The Dallas Stars' Raycroft, more than many in the sport, also knows the difficult spot Mason finds himself in. Like Raycroft, Mason is still trying to measure up to the standard he set his rookie season. "I started dwelling on things beyond my control," said Raycroft, who was the NHL rookie of the year in 2004. "I started thinking about all the responsibility that was on me. You start overthinking and second-guessing things." Playing for his fifth NHL franchise, Raycroft has settled into a backup's role. The"
Blue Jackets goalie is learning to forget
October 15
Columbus Dispatch
 
"In his rookie season, Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason seemed capable of deleting bad goals and mistakes from his memory like junk e-mail. One click and they were removed from the inbox. During a trying second season, however, all the negative thoughts piled up, and Mason had great difficulty processing them. No NHL goaltender was pulled from more starts. "I was focused on small things that really started to distract me," Mason said. "If I let in a bad goal, it's important to move on and focus on the next shot." So when a routine wraparound shot from San Jose's Torrey Mitchell found its way between Mason's pads two minutes into the season opener last Friday in Sweden, the angst among"
Mason flashes form from his rookie season
October 10
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The San Jose Sharks cracked Steve Mason's goaltender mask this weekend. The confidence he wore like armor emerged unscathed. Mason made 33 saves last night to backstop the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 overtime win in the Ericsson Globe. Opening the season against one of the NHL's most potent attacks, he registered a .921 save percentage in two games, allowing only one even-strength goal. He withstood a Sharks barrage last night that included eight power-play opportunities and a second-period Patrick Marleau shot that caught him in the throat protector. There was a short delay, with the Jackets killing a penalty, that enabled Mason to recover and get a new mask. "He got hit pretty good and I'm"
Jackets sign Mason to two-year deal
September 21
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson signed yet another of the franchise's "foundation" players to a contract extension yesterday, agreeing with goaltender Steve Mason on a two-year extension that will keep him in the fold through the 2012-13 season. In the process, Howson made a strong statement - that the Blue Jackets believe Mason's record-setting, trophy-winning rookie season was more indicative of his career trajectory than the disappointing sophomore campaign he endured in 2009-10. "We have faith in the person, the player, the pedigree," Howson said. "The talent and ability he's shown to this point in his career suggests that what he did his rookie year is closer to what you'd"
Jackets, Mason seek better net results
August 15
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Heading into Blue Jackets training camp, the position battle with the least intrigue is starting goaltender. Jackets management, coaching staff and fans have to hope it remains that way. Steve Mason entered and exited last season as the franchise's top goalie. But there were long, sometimes tumultuous stretches in between when it hardly appeared the case. The 2009 NHL Rookie of the Year struggled through a trying second season, and the Jackets followed his lead to a 14th-place finish in the 15-team Western Conference. "Goaltending is your lifeblood," first-year coach Scott Arniel said. "Good goaltending gives you a chance to make the playoffs. I don't think Steve got off to the start he"
Mason Turned Down Worlds Invite
April 17
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson confirmed that goaltender Steve Mason turned down a chance to represent Team Canada in the upcoming world championship. Mason cited his left shoulder injury and "other physical issues" as reasons for not playing, Howson wrote in a text message."
Mason's offseason begins on high note
April 12
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltending coach Dave Rook waited patiently for reporters to vacate the crease of Steve Mason's locker-room stall Friday before sidling up to his prize pupil. "Hey, Mase - .901," Rook said. Mason and Rook exchanged knowing smiles and shook hands. It required a 45-save performance in the season's final game, a 1-0 shootout loss to Detroit, to elevate Mason's save percentage above .900 - a line of respectability for NHL goaltenders. "It's something I was working for the last little while," said Mason, who had an .886 percentage as late as January. "For a goaltender, you want to set a bar, and it's always to be above .900." If the Blue Jackets could have picked one player to"
Jackets' Mason learning to accept the things he can't control
April 1
Columbus Dispatch
 
"There are times when a hockey puck - nothing more than a 6-ounce hunk of vulcanized rubber - seems to have a mind of its own, when it seems almost magnetically drawn to the goal or cosmically snared in bad karma. On Tuesday, Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason was tight to the near post, in perfect position to make a save on Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier. But the puck nicked off the stick blade of Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin, continued across the crease until it glanced off the left skate of Jackets defenseman Marc Methot, then clunked off the far post before going into the net. Mason reached into the net with his stick and fired the puck down the ice. "The message," Mason said, "was"
Blue Jackets give Mason no support
March 24
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason could be excused for being a bit star struck last night in the presence of boyhood hero Martin Brodeur. His teammates should receive no such pass. While Mason played against his idol, the Blue Jackets simply stood idle after the first period, and the New Jersey Devils cruised to a 6-3 win before 14,202 fans in the Prudential Center. The Devils scored four second-period goals, spoiling Mason's first meeting against the goaltender he most admires. They also had three power-play goals, created traffic in front of Mason and took advantage of Blue Jackets defensive breakdowns. "It is disappointing, but it was more disappointing because we lost the game,""
Blue Jackets' Mason gets chance to face idol Brodeur
March 23
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The boyhood bedroom of Steve Mason served as a shrine to goaltending. Coated in New Jersey Devils red, the walls were festooned with photos of the game's greats. One goaltender's image, however, dominated the shelves and dresser tops the way it now does the NHL record books. There were Martin Brodeur figurines. Martin Brodeur trading cards. Martin Brodeur pictures. Nobody had trouble Christmas shopping for Mason, a then-budding goaltender prospect in Oakville, Ontario. He liked to think even the family's miniature schnauzer, Brodie, was named for the Devils' super stopper. "We are slowly trying to take that stuff out because I don't spend a lot of time at home anymore," the 21-year-old"
Jackets' Mason hopes to pick up right where he left off
March 1
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason doesn't deny he needed a two-week break. If only Wayne Gretzky had lit the Olympic cauldron in December. "I could have used it two months ago to break up all that poor play," Mason said with a grin. "It was obviously nice to have the time off, but for me, I would have rather kept on playing." Mason played his best four consecutive games of the season before the Olympic break, which began Feb.15. The run included his only three-game winning streak of what otherwise has been a sobering second season. He posted a 3-1 record in that stretch with a 1.26 goals-against average, a .960 save percentage and two shutouts. "The only difference I see in Mase is he"
Mason starring in masterpiece theater again
February 11
Columbus Dispatch
 columnist Michael Arace
"There are 18 skaters, and then there is the goalie, who lives on an island. He is detached from the X's and O's. He has his own position coach. Although he is intrinsically tied to the fortunes of his team, he stands alone on his own merit. How is it, then, that Steve Mason has been unbeatable since the Blue Jackets replaced Ken Hitchcock with Claude Noel? The goaltender is the last player who ought to be affected by a coaching change. Mason admits as much. "Hitch always supported me," Mason said. "I liked him as a coach, and I'll never say anything bad about him." In fact, Mason said he shares the responsibility for getting Hitchcock fired. And he does. Pre-Noel, Mason was 13-18-6 with a"
Jackets position coach still in Mason's corner
January 25
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Steve Mason's first game under the tutelage of Dave Rook went so poorly, the general manager of the junior-league team was searching for another goaltender by the second period. The Blue Jackets have exercised more patience with the goaltender and his position coach, who are no strangers to each other, or to trying times. The Jackets hired Rook last summer based largely on his development of Mason, who endured a rocky start with the London Knights to blossom into one of junior hockey's best goalies from 2006-08. Blue Jackets officials now must hope history repeats itself. Mason, the reigning NHL rookie of the year, is suffering through a forgettable second season, putting Rook in a tough"
Mason unaccustomed to riding the bench
January 15
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Steve Mason was the Blue Jackets' backup goaltender last night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the fifth straight game he's watched Mathieu Garon get the start. A little perspective: Since Mason made his NHL debut Nov. 5, 2008, he's gone as many as three games without a start just once, and that was last February when he had mononucleosis. More perspective: "This is the longest stretch since I was probably 14 years old," Mason said. "It's been difficult, but it's going to help me be a better goaltender." Mason has spent long hours with goaltender coach Dave Rook, including yesterday when he was the last player off the ice after a morning skate in the United Center. "We're working on a lot"
Goalies have little margin for error
January 2
Columbus Dispatch
 
"In the past nine games, Blue Jackets goaltenders have combined for a 2.28 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. They have one win to show for those solid numbers. These days, Steve Mason and Mathieu Garon are working without a net even as they guard one. It's because the Jackets have scored 11 goals in the past nine games, including one each in the past five games. But neither Mason nor Garon is complaining. "It's weird, we haven't been scoring goals lately, but the whole team is playing better defensively," Garon said. "It's a start, and it's what will give us a chance to win once the goals start to come again." The Jackets and their goaltenders have endured a bizarre season."
Mason no longer Blue Jacket's #1 goalie
December 21
Columbus Dispatch
 
"With their losses mounting and the season slipping away, the Blue Jackets are taking a new approach to their goaltending. Before practice yesterday, coach Ken Hitchcock informed the club that Steve Mason no longer is the club's undisputed No. 1 goaltender. Mathieu Garon will start at 9 tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes. If he plays well, Garon will keep playing, too, not resort to the backup role he's held up to this point. "Win and you're in," Hitchcock said. "That's just where we're at now. If a guy wins, he gets to keep going. "We can't wait any longer to get going." Mason allowed three goals on five shots and lasted only 4 minutes, 15 seconds in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Colorado. It's"
Coach stands behind Mason
December 10
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Some critics accuse Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock of not trusting young, skilled players. Whatever merit the argument holds, it doesn't apply to his faith in goaltender Steve Mason. As the losses and tough outings mounted, Hitchcock refused to bench the 21-year-old. Hitchcock thought Mason needed to feel good about his game if the Blue Jackets were going to emerge from their funk. His belief in last season's rookie of the year was rewarded last night in a 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers in Nationwide Arena. Mason made 32 saves, including 16 in the second period, for his first shutout of the season. "I've had a couple meetings with Hitch and he's stuck behind me 100 percent," Mason"
Mason's fiery side gives goalie a spark
December 3
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The goaltender's crease has been a haven for eccentricity since the time of Glenn Hall raising a toilet seat before every game to spill his guts. Jacques Plante knitted in the locker room. Gary Smith showered between periods. Gilles Gratton once refused to play because the moon was in the wrong part of the sky. Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason doesn't do quirky. Mason burns hot, however, and he plays with an outward passion more often associated with forwards and defensemen. "It's unique for a goaltender to be as demonstrative as Steve," general manager Scott Howson said. "That's the competitor in him." Mason's latest display occurred in a 4-3 shootout loss Tuesday to the Chicago"
Blind spot bothers Mason
November 25
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets equipment manager Tim LeRoy is a resourceful individual. But if he attached a couple of small bicycle mirrors to the helmet of goaltender Steve Mason, the NHL might take a dim view of his handiwork. So Mason must deal with the traffic behind him the old-fashion way, practice and more practice. He was one of the few Jackets who participated in the morning skate yesterday in the Bell Centre. The others on the ice were there to help the struggling second-year goaltender. The coaching staff is trying to get Mason more comfortable in tracking pucks behind his net. The New York Rangers had success against Mason on Monday with plays that developed behind the goal line and led to"
Hitchcock analyzes goaltender's analysis
November 13
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Coach Ken Hitchcock did not take issue with goaltender Steve Mason's critical assessment of the Blue Jackets' play, culminating in a 9-1 loss Wednesday to the Detroit Red Wings. Hitchcock did, however, think Mason misspoke in saying only one of eight Red Wings' shots that beat him was a "stoppable puck." "I'd like my goalie to think he could stop every shot," Hitchcock said. Mason, who allowed eight goals on 35 shots against the Red Wings, will serve as the backup to Mathieu Garon tonight when the Blue Jackets play the Anaheim Ducks in Nationwide Arena. After the worst outing of his brief career, Mason did not mask his disappointment with the team's defensive struggles. The Jackets are"
Keeping Mason a step ahead
October 3
Columbus Dispatch
 
"As goaltender Steve Mason was setting NHL records and carrying the Blue Jackets to their first Stanley Cup playoffs last season, shooters from around the league were taking notes. These mental observations of Mason's vulnerabilities -- compiled and shared among opposing players and coaches -- became "the book" on Mason and, although this book isn't published, there's one on every goaltender. "Anytime you play a team more than once, there's a book on you," Mason said. "When we played teams toward the end of the season, I could tell guys were picking up on my weaknesses." The book on Mason was pretty short: Shoot high glove. The book on the Blue Jackets' 2009-10 season might be just as"
Red Hot Blue Jacket
August 2
Toronto Sun
 
"One of the few awkward moments in Steve Mason's sensational first NHL season happened at the league's awards show last month in Las Vegas. The Columbus Blue Jackets goalie watched normally soft-handed Chicago Blackhawks scorer Pat Kane and a former London Knights teammate struggle to open an envelope revealing his Calder Trophy successor as rookie of the year. "I was sitting there saying to myself, 'Kaner, just get that thing open and put me out of my misery,'" Mason said with a grin. "And when I went on stage (after winning it), I shook Luc Robitaille's hand, then went in for a hug with Pat but the trophy was in between us and there wasn't a lot of room.""
Opening offer a disappointment for Nash
July 2
Columbus Dispatch
 
"It didn't take long for the Blue Jackets' contract negotiations with captain Rick Nash to take a contentious turn. After meeting with his agent, Joe Resnick, Nash told The Dispatch last night that the initial offer from Jackets general manager Scott Howson fell short of what he had in mind. Nash watched yesterday's free-agent spending spree, with NHL teams continuing to shower elite players with huge contracts, and said he expected more from the Blue Jackets. "There were tons of teams throwing some pretty big money around," Nash said. "If this doesn't get done, I'm sure I won't have a problem getting signed by somebody next summer." Neither Howson nor Nash revealed details of the proposal,"
New goaltenders coach gets rave reviews from Mason
June 27
Columbus Dispatch
 
"It has been an offseason filled with awards and rewards for Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason. He earned NHL Rookie of the Year honors last week and was named a second-team All-Star. Mason also treated himself to a new car, a Mercedes-Benz SL63. The most important acquisition, however, might be the goaltenders coach who will greet him at training camp in September. Mason, 21, is eager to work again with Dave Rook, who helped transform him into one of the best goaltenders coming out of junior hockey. "To work with him for an entire season at the NHL level is only going to bode well for myself, and I think it will be a good opportunity for him," Mason said yesterday. Rook will be"
Where does goalie rank in Columbus' best years?
June 19
Columbus Dispatch
 columnist Rob Oller
"Besides possessing the knack to play well with sticks, Steve Mason and Jack Nicklaus would not seem to have much in common. But by winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie last night, Mason joins the Golden Bear in select company. The Blue Jackets goaltender becomes one of only a handful of professional athletes with strong Columbus ties to receive a substantial honor for a single-season performance. By winning the Calder, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, Mason not only brings the Blue Jackets out of the background for a day, but it places a more lasting historical stamp on the 21-year-old Canadian. He joins a list of Columbus-connected"
Blue Jackets' Mason named NHL's top rookie
June 19
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason won the Calder Memorial Trophy tonight at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas. The award is given annually to the league's top rookie based on voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writer's Association. Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash was named winner of the NHL Foundation Award, recognizing a player's "commitment and service to charities in his community." Mason, 21, also was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy -- given to the NHL's top goaltender -- which went to Boston's Tim Thomas. Mason led the NHL in shutouts (10), was second in goals-against average (2.29), tied for ninth in wins (33) and 11th in save percentage (.916). He helped steer the Blue"
Mason thanks family, Blue Jackets for honor
June 19
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The Blue Jackets tore it up in Las Vegas last night. Goaltender Steve Mason won the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie, and captain Rick Nash won the NHL's Foundation Award, recognizing his charity work. "It's a great night for the Blue Jackets," Mason said. "We were very well represented." Mason also was named to the NHL's second All-Star Team and the All-Rookie Team, capping a season in which he made a meteoric rise out of the Canadian junior system to rank among the top 10 in almost every statistical category. "It's a great way to wrap up a pretty incredible season for myself," Mason told The Dispatch by telephone. "I'm the only person who gets credit with an award"
Odds favor Jackets' Mason in Las Vegas
June 18
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Steve Mason, who turned 21 last month, flew to Las Vegas yesterday. But this won't be the typical young guy's first-time soiree through Sin City. For one thing, the Blue Jackets rookie goaltender will have his mother, his girlfriend and a slew of family members in his traveling party, not to mention his boss, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson. And contrary to the slogan "Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," Mason is hoping to bring something home. "It'll be a different kind of fun," Mason said. "But it's going to be a blast, for sure." Mason is the favorite for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given annually to the NHL's top rookie, at tonight's awards show in the Palms Casino"
Mason's great, but he needs support
May 19
Columbus Dispatch
 columnist Michael Arace
"Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, 20, yesterday was named NHL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. He is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy, and he will stand with the finalists for the Vezina, when the league has its award show in Las Vegas one month hence. This is heady stuff for a glory-starved hockey market. How about the Big Kid? Mason put the Jackets on his back and carried them to their first playoff appearance. He was 33-20-7 with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He was at or near the head of a sterling class of rookies, which included Bobby Ryan, Kris Versteeg, Steven Stamkos, T.J. Oshie, Jake Voracek, Drew Doughty, Luke Shenn, Zach"