THE SMART PLAY
Since coming out of the lockout in 2005, the NHL and its partners in the NHL Players’ Association have demonstrated a willingness to make bold decisions. Shootouts, outdoor games, expansion into unexpected markets … these were all visionary calls that carried massive risk but paid big dividends.
So, if a couple of months back you’d have asked me which sport would be most likely to go out on a limb to join forces with a well-funded but untested trading card manufacturer, hockey would have been my first choice.
Instead, when other PAs and leagues ditched long-time partners like Topps and Panini for the deep-pocketed promises of Fanatics, the NHL and NHLPA played it conservative and re-signed with Upper Deck.
Time will tell whether that was the right decision. Given a chance to redefine the hobby on its own terms with MLB, NFL, and NBA exclusives, Fanatics may prove to a revolutionary force that energizes collectors in ways we can’t yet imagine. Part of me worries that we’ve sided with fossil fuels at a time when everyone else is looking to the future with alternative energy sources.
But a bigger part feels like this is a great day for hockey collectors.When you add it all up, I think we’re lucky they decided to keep Upper Deck on board.
Over the past several seasons, as their focus has narrowed to hockey, UD has set a standard that forced other manufacturers to play catch-up. ey delivered more creative products. ey paid attention to the details. And there’s been a genuine – not performative – commitment to customer service.
ey’re not perfect. I mean, has 2019-20 e Cup come out yet? (I’m kidding, I’m kidding). But here’s the thing – if you’ve had to deal with the company, either at trade shows or league events or with a customer service issue, you can attest to the fact that they care. And that’s what collectors deserve.
I think the licensors see that. ey see the attention UD pays to the sport, the efforts they make to promote the game and the players, and to get more people interested in the hobby. And even at a time when both the NHL and NHLPA are recovering from the financial effects of the pandemic, they realize that’s the kind of partner you can’t afford to dump in exchange for a few more bucks in the coffers.
Upper Deck earned this extension.
We’ll see how it plays out. But I like the way it looks from here.
Al Muir - amuir@beckett.com • @almuirsi on Twitter