Dominic Malerba developed his first goalie mask in 1986 as a personal project that now protects four current NHL starters.
From solo workshop to NHL supplier
Malerba produced his initial mask in 1986 and scaled the company through incremental design advances over four decades.
Pro’s Choice supplied masks during the 2025-26 season to Connor Hellebuyck, Frederik Andersen, Jacob Markstrom and Karel Vejmelka.
The same masks appeared on women’s netminders Gwyneth Phillips and Rei Halloran in international competition.
True Hockey owner W. Graeme Roustan positioned the acquisition as an extension of existing goaltender lines already featuring Pat Lefebvre and Scott Van Horne.
Malerba’s entry added a fifth specialist to the roster alongside stick expert Adam Gans.
Craftsmanship preserved under larger scale
Roustan stated the partnership maintains Pro’s Choice standards of quality and performance while expanding distribution.
Malerba confirmed that core manufacturing processes remain unchanged after the deal.
The move contrasts with earlier independent growth of Pro’s Choice against the broader equipment consolidation seen since 2010.
True Hockey already offered skates, sticks and pads; masks complete the goaltender set for the first time.
Four NHL goalies represent the measurable adoption rate of the 1986-derived designs entering 2026.
Equipment roster expansion timeline
True Hockey added goalie equipment specialists in sequence beginning with Lefebvre before incorporating Van Horne.
The 2026 Pro’s Choice step placed mask production inside the same corporate structure that owns The Hockey News.
This sequence produced a single-source supplier covering skates through masks for elite netminders.
Data from the 2025-26 season showed Pro’s Choice masks on six professional goalies across leagues.
The addition raised True Hockey’s documented goaltender product count by one full category.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.