After recently announcing new agreements with hockey legends Vladislav Tretiak and Mark Messier, In The Game has added a pair of Hockey Hall of Famers to its hockey card roster for the 2010-11 season with the signing of Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman.
Both players’ autographed cards will be part of this season’s products.
“We are proud to have a long history with both players and collectors will be happy to find their cards throughout all In The Game releases during the upcoming season,” said In The Game’s President, Dr. Brian Price. “We’re dedicated to bringing hobbyists the best possible selection of players that are available to us and Lemieux and Yzerman are truly among the sport’s greatest legends.”
Lemieux has long been a part of In The Game’s lineup of products and first signed a deal with the hockey card manufacturer for the 2000-01 season. A fixture in the company’s products since that time, he is considered to be the greatest player in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise.
When he was chosen first overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, he was looked upon to help resurrect the faltering franchise and within a few years, he took the team to a pair of consecutive Stanley Cup titles.
While he retired in 1997, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and saved the team once again by taking over as their owner. In 2005, he skated with a young Sidney Crosby and would retire for good midway through the season.
After a brief absence, Yzerman has returned to the In The Game fold once again and the current General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning has a huge following among collectors throughout the world.
A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Yzerman help Detroit establish itself as Hockey Town and earned numerous accolades on his way to becoming a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In The Game is now in its 13th season of producing hockey cards. Upcoming releases that are on the schedule include traditional favorites such as Heroes and Prospects, Between The Pipes and Ultimate Memorabilia 10th Edition along with new concepts such as Enshrined, Decades, Canada Vs. The World and Illustrious.
In The Game does not hold an NHL trading card license, but has managed to carve a niche in the market.
“We feel that the only license we really need is a license from collectors to produce the best hockey cards possible,” said Price. “We still have some more announcements to make about upcoming signings as well and hope that collectors will enjoy what we have to offer for the upcoming season.”
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