Panini Signs Gordie Howe to Multi-Year Contract

[mikesilvia]

Panini America (www.paniniamerica.net), the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and an official trading card manufacturer of the NHL®, announced during the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa that it has reached a multi-year trading card agreement with legendary Detroit Red Wings® star Gordie Howe, arguably the greatest hockey player of all time.
The new pact means Panini America will be able to include autograph and memorabilia trading cards of Howe in its officially licensed hockey products for the first time. Howe also will appear on the company’s packaging and promotional materials.

“When it comes to transcendent hockey superstars, they get no bigger than Gordie Howe, and we’re more than ecstatic to welcome him to the Panini family,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “All of our hockey products will benefit greatly from his presence and we can’t wait to share Howe’s legacy and his greatness with fans and collectors across North America.”

“I’m truly honored to be a part of the Panini America family and I can’t wait to see all of the exciting things they have planned for my trading cards,” Howe said. “Panini America is a pioneering company when it comes to innovation – from their HRX Video Trading Cards to their real 14-karat gold cards. They will no doubt show me in a whole new light and I can’t wait to see it.”

To help celebrate the new relationship, Howe will appear at the Panini America booth inside the 2012 Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair™ on Friday from 3:00-4:30 p.m at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

Howe, a 1972 Hall of Fame inductee, played 25 seasons with the NHL’s Red Wings and six more seasons with the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers of the WHA. During his celebrated career, Howe was a 23-time NHL All-Star who won the Stanley Cup® four times, six Art Ross Trophies, six Hart Trophies and he remains the only player in NHL history to play in five different decades. He remains the NHL’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,767 points.

Panini America is the only company in the world that manufactures licensed trading cards and stickers for the NBA, NFL, NFL PLAYERS, NHL, NHLPA, MLBPA and FIFA World Cup. The company also owns exclusive entertainment licenses with Disney, Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson, and more than 600 global licenses with other sports and entertainment properties.

[Bauldie]

uhoh

[infant10]

might as well start collecting Gordie Howe..... his auto's are going to be worth $5.00 each.

[fleuryfan 29]

And to think a couple of weeks ago we were pumped that his autos would be included in ITG, now they will be over produced by panini, what a shame, was looking forward to what ITG could do, but now Howe auto's will be as common as days of the week that end in Y.

[lambeauleap87]

Well this can't be good...

[mayday]

On a related subject of over production and flooding the market of autos, last year Tedenby a rookie from NJ had a combined 3,000+ autographs on the market from Panini and UD in one year.

[30ranfordfan]

Good for Panini.

Howe's autos have been dropping in value for several years, just like Gretzky & Orr, Crosby, and any other superstar you can name. Upper Deck had been doing a good job of that all on their own.

I recall Dominion getting critisized last year becuase they didn't have the big name / all time greats (Howe, Orr, Gretzky) like The Cup did - therefore it wasn't as good to break.

What are they supposed to do?

[jonpop]

Gordie Howe and William Shatner starring in "I Just Can't get Enough of Myself. Howe many Families does Gordie want to belong to.....

[KangoBass]

Sweet I can't wait to collect the black mirror, red mirror, blue mirror, gold mirror, black platinum, red platinum, blue platinum, gold platinum, black mirror GU/AU, blue mirror GU/AU, red mirror GU/AU, gold mirror GU/AU, black platinum GU/AU, red platninum GU/AU, gold platinum GU/AU, black mirror horizontal dual GU/AU, blue mirror red horizontal dual GU/AU, gold mirror horizontal dual GU/AU, black platinum horizontal dual GU/AU, blueplatinum horizontal dual GU/AU, red platinum horizontal dual GU/AU, & purple platinum horizontal dual GU/AU versions.....

[StuBedaso]

sweet i can't wait to collect the black mirror, red mirror, blue mirror, gold mirror, black platinum, red platinum, blue platinum, gold platinum, black mirror gu/au, blue mirror gu/au, red mirror gu/au, gold mirror gu/au, black platinum gu/au, red platninum gu/au, gold platinum gu/au, black mirror horizontal dual gu/au, blue mirror red horizontal dual gu/au, gold mirror horizontal dual gu/au, black platinum horizontal dual gu/au, blueplatinum horizontal dual gu/au, red platinum horizontal dual gu/au, & purple platinum horizontal dual gu/au versions.....

+1!!!!