If you see someone selling a hockey card featuring a very young Alexis Lafreniere, allegedly produced in conjunction with the Quebec International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament, it’s homemade.
The tournament’s management says the cards recently began showing up on eBay and other websites. They carry a picture of the NHL’s top draft pick as a youngster with the tournament logo and a 2013 date on the front. Sellers had been asking as much as $100 for the cards but tournament organizers say they’ve never produced a Lafreniere card and have contacted Quebec City Police Service, who says their fraud unit is investigating.
eBay records show several cards were listed and sold by Canadian sellers this fall for $21-$78.
Tournament organizers say they regularly monitor the various resale sites to ensure that the cards or other items sold with the tournament logo are authentic.
“As soon as we discovered the scheme, we contacted the SPVQ, which takes the situation very seriously. We invite the public to be extremely careful. The fact that Alexis Lafrenière was the first choice of the New York Rangers in the draft in 2020 probably encourages some people to want to take advantage of the situation, ” said TIHPWQ general manager Patrick Dom.
Lafreniere did play in the tournament as a 12-year-old in 2013 and scored two goals with two assists in two games.
Police say “the cards have been listed for sale on eBay, but may end up on different platforms.”
Anyone with information can call 1 888 641-AGIR, toll-free throughout North America. Information will be treated confidentially.