Monday November 01, 2010
Panini America will be doing its best Felix Potvin impersonation next month . . . by pulling out all the stops in Toronto.

Indeed, during the 2010 Toronto Sportcard and Memorabilia Expo (beginning Nov. 12 at the Toronto International Centre), the company aims to dazzle a decided hockey contingent with another of its trademark, show-stopping wrapper redemption programs.

But football and basketball collectors will most certainly find something irresistible in those two-card redemption packs as well.

Panini America officials have developed a show-exclusive six-card redemption set around the forthcoming 2010-11 Donruss Hockey (limited to 500 copies) that includes two Rated Rookies (limited to just 250 copies), two Ice Kings (limited to just 250 copies) and . . . drum roll, please . . . seven autographed Rookie Patch NHL Patch cards (limited to just 25 copies).

Randomly inserted into packs will be limited-edition autographed versions of the base set (Ryan Miller, Jonas Gustavsson), both Rated Rookies (Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin) and Ice Kings (Ray Bourque).

The Donruss-inspired, Expo-exclusive hockey set will be augmented by an additional et limited to just five copies as well as randomly inserted cards of NFL stars Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, and NBA stars John Wall and Evan Turner, also limited to just five copies.

Oh, and just to make things a little more exciting for show-goers, the company is spiking those packs with additional signatures of some guy named Kobe Bryant, Tebow, Bradford, Wall, Turner and NHL favorites Mario Lemieux, Patrick Roy, Steve Yzerman, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton and Steven Stamkos.

Collectors will receive a two-card Expo-exclusive pack for every five hobby packs from Panini America’s multisport roster of products – or a full box of 2010-11 Score Hockey – they open at the company’s booth.

Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance next week to find out about the company’s plans for instant-win prizes and Box Wars contests at the Expo.