Title: Upper Deck Extends Licensing Partnership with NHL Alumni Association
Subtitle: Renowned trading card producer secures exclusive rights to honor hockey’s legends
Meta Description: Upper Deck cements its role as the sole producer of trading cards featuring former NHL athletes, while also venturing into digital collectibles.
Upper Deck, a prominent name in the trading card industry, has reaffirmed its commitment to hockey history and memorabilia with the extension of its licensing partnership with the NHL Alumni Association (NHLAA). This agreement solidifies Upper Deck’s position as the only licensed producer of physical trading cards featuring over a thousand former NHL athletes.
The renewal of this partnership is a strategic move for Upper Deck, as highlighted by Jason Masherah, the President of the company. He emphasizes the vital role played by the NHL Alumni Association in enriching Upper Deck’s offerings, providing the opportunity to showcase trading cards and autographs of hockey’s greatest players, and enhancing the collectibles market for enthusiasts.
The NHL Alumni Association, based in Ontario, actively supports former NHL players. Their group licensing program, launched in 2017, allows the NHLAA to utilize the collective image rights of its members for commercial purposes, benefiting various programs and initiatives. Hockey legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Ray Bourque, and Steve Yzerman, along with almost a hundred Hall of Fame inductees, participate in this program.
Upper Deck is one of several companies engaged in business with the NHLAA, illustrating the association’s broad commercial appeal. In addition to trading cards, the NHLAA supports its members through player appearances, tournaments, career transition programs, and an annual stick auction, among other activities all aimed at honoring the sport and its legacy.
Glenn Healy, the Executive Director of the NHL Alumni Association, expresses his excitement about continuing the collaboration with Upper Deck to honor the past. He emphasizes the significant role Upper Deck trading cards have played in capturing and preserving the heritage of hockey. This renewed agreement promises to allow fans and collectors of different generations to cherish and celebrate the revered NHL Alumni who have shaped the game.
In an exciting development, Upper Deck reveals plans to expand its product line to include digital trading cards available through its Evolution platform. This addition represents a significant step towards merging traditional collecting with the digital age, offering a new medium for fans and collectors to connect with hockey’s history.
In essence, this extended licensing agreement between Upper Deck and the NHL Alumni Association not only solidifies Upper Deck’s exclusive rights as the producer and distributor of physical trading cards featuring former NHL players, but also marks their venture into the realm of digital collectibles. This move promises to enrich the legacy of hockey for a new era of fans and collectors, ensuring that the revered NHL Alumni receive the recognition they deserve.