Before Packout: 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Hockey Rookie Ticket Reveal (Gallery)

I happened to be back in the massive acquisitions vault inside Panini America headquarters yesterday afternoon and noticed a nice assortment of what promise to be some of the most coveted Rookie Cards of the entire 2010-11 NHL collecting season.

The on-card autographed gems, shown in all their splendor below, will no doubt play a starring role in the May 18 release of the inaugural 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Hockey product. They’re known in collecting circles as “Rookie Tickets,” and they were mere minutes away from being shipped to our printing facility and introduced into the packout process.

So I did what any self-respecting trading-card voyeur would do: I quickly confiscated as many as I could get my hands on and high-tailed it to the scanner to prepare the following gallery for the throngs of eager hockey hobbyists anxious to get an exclusive first look at the landmark RCs.

Enjoy . . .