Before They’re Signed: A Panini America Pre-Ink Peek at 2010-11 Dominion Hockey

Say what you will, but being an office busy body has its advantages. Take, for example, the drool-inducing gallery that follows.

I was up late last week playing the role of office butterfly, making my rounds through production, design, product development and acquisitions just to see what was going on. As always, there was tons going on.

What really caught my eye last Friday, however, were the drop-dead gorgeous gems that a white-gloved Alex Carbajal was carefully preparing for transit. Carbajal, the Panini America NHL acquisitions point man, doggedly secures autographs for all of our hockey products — but perhaps none will be more scrutinized this season than the ones from 2010-11 Dominion Hockey slated to receive on-card signatures.

Dominion, the high-end heavyweight due out in late July, absolutely is one of the most anticipated releases of the season across all sports. One look at the images below — including the Brass Bonanza tribute to the Hartford Whalers — and you’ll understand why.

Just minutes after these cards were scanned under Carbajal’s watchful eye, they were confiscated for expeditious shipment to their respective signing destinations. Stay tuned for the “after” pics in the near future.