Panini America Unveils Double Rookie Class Logo in Advance of 2013 NHL Entry Draft

June 28, 2013

Panini NHL Double Rookie Class logo

Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and an official licensee of the NHL and NHLPA, unveiled today a special 2013-14 Double Rookie Class logo in advance of Sunday’s 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Panini Double Rookie Class logo will appear on all Panini 2013-14 NHL trading card product packaging, serve as a key identifier on Rookie Cards during the 2013-14 season and will be a vital part of Panini America’s marketing and promotional initiatives during the coming season. NHL fans can also follow all of the excitement of the Double Rookie Class on Twitter at #PaniniDoubleRookieClass.

The top players from Sunday’s draft who skate early in the season will join the headliners from last year’s draft to create a unique Double Rookie Card Class for all of Panini America’s 2013-14 NHL products. Due to the shortened 2012-13 season, Panini America did not produce Rookie Cards for top 2012 draft picks such as Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk. Those players’ first officially licensed Rookie Cards will appear in Panini America’s 2013-14 Score Hockey, which releases in late July and will be available at retailers and hobby shops throughout the U.S. and Canada. 

“We can’t wait for the NHL and NHL Players to get back on the ice after a great Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL/NHLPA Double Rookie Class represents a unique opportunity that will include more than a 100 rookies from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons — and that’s before the excitement of Sunday’s NHL Entry Draft,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America Vice President of Marketing. “We felt the best way to highlight the significance of the Double Rookie Class was a unique logo that would differentiate to collectors that this upcoming season is a special and rare opportunity for Panini NHL trading cards and for all trading card collectors.”

Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance this weekend for additional coverage of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and 2013-14 Score Hockey, including a special behind-the-scenes look at how one of Score’s most unique insert sets was created. Until then, here’s your first look at two key Rookie Cards from 2013-14 Score Hockey (Yakupov and Galchenyuk) emblazoned with the new Double Rookie Class logo.