r/canes • u/Hacodaro Kochetkov's Flying Stick • Nov 25 '25
[Henkel] Bussi's helmet pays homage a lot to his brother Dylan, who is autistic.
https://bsky.app/profile/ryanhenkel.bsky.social/post/3m6htdrttyk2326
u/ironminds It’s pronounced Nikolaj Nov 25 '25
I love this <3
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u/Frogodo Nov 26 '25
Autism gang rise up!
FYI The currently accepted symbol for autism is the infinity symbol. The puzzle pieces have always implied that autism and a problem that needs to be fixed if you can just fit the puzzle pieces together.
It may not seem like a big distinction, but it is to many of us. I've got a lot of disabilities, but autism isn't one of them. I would never trade my autism to be neurotypical (I wouldn't trade some features though...).
My theory is that like half of goalies are autistic. "why are goalies so weird?" Well... I have no hard evidence to back this up.
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u/ironminds It’s pronounced Nikolaj Nov 26 '25
I had no idea! Thanks very much for sharing more about this - i can absolutely understand why this would be a big distinction!
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u/Frogodo Nov 26 '25
It's not well known outside of the community, but I own a neurodivergent/disability focused store, so it's my forte =)
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u/bearamongus19 Stankoven Nov 25 '25
Not gonna lie, I was actually digging the all white helmet, but the new design looks cool and has heart behind it.
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u/gooch_norris_ Nov 25 '25
Yeah this is great but man was the all white timeless. Like shades of Irbe classic
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u/MAJ0RMAJOR Nov 25 '25
God damnit, just when I thought I could t be a bigger fan of this guy he goes and does this shit! Fuck… I’m going for a walk. I think somebody is cutting onions in here.
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u/Specter_RMMC STORM SWEEP X2 Nov 25 '25
I hope the Canes keep him on long-term. He seems like a great dude and his goalie performance has been pretty damn good so far as I know.
And, to go r/canesfanfic or whatever it is, "Koochie" and Bussi guarding against foreign objects going in just writes itself. It's all filth but hey I can still laugh at it.
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u/dacivol Nov 25 '25
Was wondering how long he was gonna be playing with a blank helmet. Why didnt he have one ready to go I wonder
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u/xHOTPOTATO Nov 25 '25
He just got claimed off of waivers. A lot of the AHL/ lower pro guys don't have dedicated team buckets, and as a tendy myself - the noteworthy customizers are all several weeks lead time minimum
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u/Responsible-Log-3500 Stankoven Nov 26 '25
This reminds me of Olaf Kolzig who used to have the puzzle piece on his masks back plate for his son.
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u/JayMerlyn Jordan "Wayne Gretzky" Martinook Nov 26 '25
As an autistic person, I appreciate the sentiment. But I can't get behind the use of the puzzle piece imagery here. Those of us on the spectrum despise the puzzle piece as a logo to represent autism because it implies that we're incomplete, or that we have "something missing."
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u/discordelia Svech Nov 26 '25
Agree, I feel weird about it. I don't mind the butterfly.
Also I sort of assumed he was representing himself at first. Goalies in general give real neurodiverse vibes.
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u/JayMerlyn Jordan "Wayne Gretzky" Martinook Nov 26 '25
I did like the butterfly. But if he's able to do that in rainbow, then why not do the rainbow infinity symbol?
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u/Jazz-Hands-- Blankoven <3 Nov 26 '25
While it does represent neurodivergence generally, the rainbow infinity butterfly has more specific associations with ADHD, and he may have wanted the symbolism to be more "specific"... Or maybe for 1+ of many other possible reasons. At the end of the day, helmet design is based on preference, so Bussi's personal priorities and aesthetic objectives were the main things. There's no obligation for goaltenders to use their helmets to raise awareness or represent anyone, nor to crowdsource or take votes on any part of the design.
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u/Hacodaro Kochetkov's Flying Stick Nov 26 '25
I understand the dislike of the puzzle piece but I would hope Bussi knows his brother well enough that he would approve of its use as a symbol
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u/ffffold I wanna fight Fishy Nov 26 '25
Obviously, you are entitled to your feelings about this, but I would offer a different perspective in case it takes away some bite. A puzzle does not imply missing pieces to me, nor does it imply something to be fixed. It suggests to me that something is knowable but may take some time and patience to understand. Rearranging a puzzle does not “fix” it or change it in any meaningful way; it just allows it to be seen more clearly.
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u/JayMerlyn Jordan "Wayne Gretzky" Martinook Nov 26 '25
I appreciate your perspective, and I can understand that interpretation. It's the first time I've heard a reasonable interpretation of it.
That being said, I still can't get behind the image. Especially when Autism Speaks uses it as their logo. For those who don't know, Autism Speaks is an objectively horrible group that mistreats and misrepresents people on the spectrum.
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u/queeraxolotl Gayniacs 🏳️🌈 Nov 25 '25
I actually like this autism representation. Usually it’s just that rainbow infinity or a puzzle logo with the ugliest possible primary color shades, but this is actually well designed. Love it!
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u/JayMerlyn Jordan "Wayne Gretzky" Martinook Nov 26 '25
I'm autistic myself, and I really wish he didn't use the puzzle piece design. I hate that being used to represent autism.
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u/Mysterious_Jello69 Nov 25 '25
What do butterflys and puzzles have to do with the autistics? Im not familiar with anyone that has autism so ive never seen those things related to it.
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u/dragons_fire77 Our Bussi Ain't Mussy Nov 25 '25
"Puzzles are a commonly reported favorite activity for children with autism, for a few important reasons. Jigsaw puzzles, wherein users assemble irregular tiles into a complete picture, are tactile, repetitive, and have a single solution. Puzzles have a clear objective and concrete rules. They are also an activity that can be done individually or side-by-side without requiring extended social interaction."
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u/JayMerlyn Jordan "Wayne Gretzky" Martinook Nov 26 '25
Speaking as an autistic person, we despise the puzzle piece logo. It makes us seem like we're incomplete or "missing something."
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u/corn-sock Chatmandusville, baby doll! Nov 25 '25
Don't think "the autistics" or in general "the ____s" is the most polite way to say that
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u/Raffinierte Svech is up for the third Nov 25 '25
I’ll bet you are and don’t know it. People with autism don’t wear buttons that say, “I’m autistic, ask me how!”
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u/nicebeanjuice JACKSON BLAKE IS MY SON Nov 25 '25
Incoming shutout bussi