Cris Mason Canadian professional ice hockey player, goaltender Date of Birth: 20.04.1976 Country: Canada

Biography of Chris Mason

Christopher Mason, a Canadian professional ice hockey player, is currently playing as a goaltender for the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was born on April 20, 1976, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Mason was drafted in the fifth round, 122nd overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 1995 NHL Draft. He made his league debut in the 1998-1999 season, playing three games for the Nashville Predators. However, Mason spent most of the next four seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL).

In the 2000-2001 season, Mason played his first full game in the NHL, although his team suffered a defeat. During the 2004-2005 season, due to the NHL lockout, Mason joined the Norwegian league and played for the Vålerenga hockey club, becoming the league's best goaltender in history. He helped the team reach the 25th League Championship and the 24th Norwegian Championship, securing victory in the playoffs.

After the goaltender Tomas Vokoun was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the offseason of 2007, Mason and backup goalie Dan Ellis took his place in Nashville. Mason quickly showed promising results in the first two games, but his enthusiasm noticeably declined in the following seven games. On June 20, 2008, Mason was traded to the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the draft. Before stepping onto the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes, the player underwent an appendectomy.

His solid performance partially contributed to the Blues' surge in February-March 2009, as they climbed the Western Conference rankings and played against other playoff teams. They ended the year with a record of 25-9-7, and Mason participated in all but one game. Eventually, the St. Louis Blues played their last game in the Western Conference on February 18, 2009, when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Vancouver Canucks.

Mason was also a member of the Canadian team participating in the World Championship under the International Ice Hockey Federation, which won the gold medal in the final match against Finland in Moscow with a score of 4-2. He also participated in the All-Star Game of the leading Norwegian league GET-ligaen in the 2004-2005 season. In the same season, he became a champion alongside other members of the Norwegian club Vålerenga in the GET-ligaen.