Video: Panini America Takes Ryan Kesler’s Game-Used Stick from the Ice to the Insert

Seven months ago today, Panini America’s Alex Carbajal and Tracy Hackler embarked on a most fascinating voyage. The objective? Document every painstaking step required to transform one game-used hockey stick from Vancouver Canucks superstar Ryn Kesler into a rare handful of unique trading cards.

The journey began in late February with the short drive from Panini America HQ to Dallas’ American Airlines Center, where Kesler’s Canucks were taking on the Stars. Following Vancouver’s tough 3-2 overtime loss during which Kesler scored the game’s first goal, the Canucks’ center, true to his word, emerged from the visiting locker room with game-used stick in hand.

In the 213 days since, that stick has been de-taped, estimated, expedited, sliced, diced, embedded, autographed and, just last week, hand-inserted into random boxes of 2011-12 Dominion Hockey, which releases on Friday. The best part? We had a camera rolling every step of the way.

Now, for the first time anywhere, we present the video diary tracking one stick’s extraordinary expedition from the ice to the insert.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcXI6Sg140o&w=600&h=338]