In what has been a whirlwind NHL season so far featuring an exciting Double Rookie Class, Panini America on Friday revealed what might be the hat trick for NHL trading cards when it announced that it has altered the distribution plan for it upcoming 2013-14 Titanium Hockey product. The product will be released exclusively to Canadian Panini Roundtable stores through Panini’s exclusive Canadian distributor, Universal Distribution. The move marks the first time in the company’s history that Panini America has chosen to release an NHL product exclusively to the Canadian market.
In what has been a whirlwind NHL season so far featuring an exciting Double Rookie Class, Panini America on Friday revealed what might be the hat trick for NHL trading cards when it announced that it has altered the distribution plan for it upcoming 2013-14 Titanium Hockey product. The product will be released exclusively to Canadian Panini Roundtable stores through Panini’s exclusive Canadian distributor, Universal Distribution. The move marks the first time in the company’s history that Panini America has chosen to release an NHL product exclusively to the Canadian market.
In addition to the Canadian-exclusive strategy, Panini America also wants to ensure that U.S. NHL fans don’t get frozen out of an exciting product that celebrates the Panini Double Rookie Class. Collectors in the U.S. will be able to purchase the product in a limited capacity directly from Panini America as an online U.S. exclusive through iCollectPanini.com, the company’s official online store.
“Titanium has a strong heritage as a hockey-only brand that has long been embraced by Canadian collectors,” said, D.J. Kazmierczak, Panini America’s Vice President of Sales. “As we looked at our 2013-14 NHL product schedule, we wanted to find a meaningful way to reward Canadian Panini Roundtable stores for their commitment and support of Panini NHL trading card products. We felt this was a clear way to do something special and create a unique point-of-differentiation for Canadian hobby shops and collectors.
“With an exclusive Canadian distributor, a Canada-only NHL product made a lot of sense and iCollectPanini.com gives us the flexibility to ensure that U.S. hockey fans still have access to purchase the 2013-14 Titanium product.”
2013-14 Titanium Hockey releases on January 15. Collectors in the U.S. can pre-order 2013-14 Titanium Hockey now at iCollect.com. Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for continued coverage.
Cool, now I CAN’T get these at my Local card shop. A few years ago, you guys would do anything to get me into a shop.
Signed,
A Confused and Not Happy AMERICAN Titanium Hockey Fan
U.S. collectors can get Titanium at iCollectPanini.com. And we still do more to support hobby shops than any manufacturer in the industry. That will continue.
Thats right…..good job Panini :)))
If you going to do things like that then announce that from the get go, instead of “check out this great new product”…..then months down the road …..”oh btw you can’t buy it in the US”
You can buy it in the U.S. It will be on iCollectPanini.com.
Unique!
There are more paragraph’s than just the first one, guys.
True, but most people would rather go to their local card store not only because they get them in their hands right away (don’t have to wait for USPS or FedEx), they might like chatting with the store for awhile and opening the boxes right at the store.
Interesting concept, something like what some of the old basketball releases did where they had exclusive content to a particular region. It will certainly have an interesting effect on the secondary market. Thanks Tracy!
So can we assume the the US will get some exclusive hockey product? I use to get titanium for about 90 bucks a box now I have to pay 124 shipped if I want to open my own boxes.