Dave Murray’s ongoing passion for hockey is no secret. If you’re familiar with his work, it’s easy to see why NHL VP of Creative Paul Conway and Fanbrandz Creative Director Bill Frederick commissioned Dave to illustrate this incredible series for the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Taking into consideration the Steeltown history of the game’s location in Hamilton Dave set to work, infusing each illustration with an industrial edge. Dave’s unique graphic style and use of texture give these players depth and movement. Talk about a perfect match!

Get an up-close look at the illustration and hear what Dave has to say about this dream project.

“My style proved to be a good fit for the ‘industrial aesthetic of the event, which I further emphasized with rivets and shapes that reflected the large machinery present in the steel mills Hamilton is known for.”

“From my sketches, a group of players and goalies were chosen to be taken to final. Each player was essentially ‘quadrupled’ - one Maple Leaf and Buffalo Sabres player in their HC kits, and then those player mirrored (being careful not to leave the logos & secondary branding backwards)!”

“The result was a full suite of players and goalies that could be used in any situation & application across the entire program.”

“The illustrations also had to be scalable to LARGE sizes - meaning each illustration is fully vector… the final pieces look GREAT, and I learned a lot through the process.”

View more of Dave Murray's illustration. Represented by i2i Art Inc.