  Edmonton Oilers' forward Raffi Torres sat in a New York City tattoo parlour for 11 hours in order to get his first tattoo. (Sun Media Photo)
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For Raffi Torres, tattoos remind him of who he is and where he's from.
The Edmonton Oilers forward currently has a pair of tattoos on his left arm with a third in the works.
"I sat in the chair for 11 hours straight for my first one," said Torres. "I got it done by a tattoo artist in New York City by the name of Tommy Helm. This guy is pretty booked up. It took me about six months to get an appointment with him."
The finished product is an impressive eagle design against a backdrop of the Mexican flag -- a tribute to Torres' father's heritage -- on his left shoulder.
"I remember having to drive an hour and a half home to Bridgeport that night and it was a little scary," Torres said. "I hadn't eaten all day and I was a little light headed on the way home.
"And the thing was that I played the next night. But it was a do or die thing, I had to go that time or he wasn't going to do the tattoo."
Torres' second work of art is his last name tattooed down the inside of his arm with the Libra sign underneath it.
His third will be an angel on the back of his arm, above the elbow.
"It's going to be my guardian angel, something that will protect me from injuries."
