Boston Bruin Milan Lucic Comes Through for Hockey Collectors One More Time
When you work on the manufacturer side of the NHL trading card business, you tend to pick up tons of behind-the-scenes skinny and invaluable insight into the daily dealings with the game’s superstars and their agents.
For example, Panini America NHL acquisitions specialist Alex Carbajal was one of the first people on the planet to know that Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic earlier this year had expressed an interest in getting out of the card-signing business. It was nothing against collectors or the hobby, Lucic simply didn’t want to sign any more trading cards.
So you can imagine Carbajal’s surprise last month when he was presented with a fresh batch of 2010-11 Dominion Hockey cards to send out that included one particularly perplexing card: A three-player doozie featuring former Bruins greats Cam Neely, Derek Sanderson . . . and Lucic.
“My first thought was ‘Uh oh, how am I possibly going to get these cards signed?’ ” Carbajal said Tuesday. “I’ve been trying to get a deal done with him all year long. So I reached out to his agent and said, ‘Look, I know Milan doesn’t want to sign right now, but we’ve inadvertently printed these cards for Dominion. Do you think he’d be willing to help us out?’ ”
Luckily for us, Lucic was indeed willing. Carbajal expedited the shipment of those cards to Lucic, who actually signed them on the same day that he spent with the Stanley Cup.
How’s that for insight?
The Knight's Lance 
Wow! Great insight. You have the best job in the world!
I am glad you got him to sign 1 more time
Thank You Alex for spending some time talking with me today…I think you , Tracy and everyone else over at Panini are doing the very best you can do…Please keep up the great work….Im eagerly waiting for DOMINION HOCKEY to be released, comparing “D” to “The Cup”…..Dominion looks Hands Down…the Better of the two ! Thanks for keeping us the collectors in the know…….Joe R. (Derek Stepan # 1 Collector)
Hey Joe R.,
Have u heard anything about Derek Stepans freshman fabric autos from Certified? I have three of them that i redeemed in November and i havent heard anything? Just thought since you were his #1 collector maybe you heard something. Thanks, Josh V.
Hi Josh.. hopefully next month, but nothings concrete yet, im as anxious as you are ! If the NY Rangers Youth movement continues here in NY (Stepan,McDonagh,Zuccarello & Weise)—-> they’re in Panini products right now and if Christian Thomas, Carl Hagelin & Tim Erixon make the team this year…i will continue to go Ga-Ga with Panini’s products ! Hopefully Panini will pay close attention to the Rangers Youth movement this upcoming year, its going to be a good one…this is what i live for….NY Ranger Rookies ! Nice chatting with you Josh….GO RANGERS ! ! ! Joe R.
Milan must of been in a great mood carrying that Cup around all day. It’s sad he doesn’t want to sign anymore as he’s definitely a real good player.
How does that work if someone like Lucic simply doesn’t want to sign anymore? Are they allowed to just stop whenever they want, or are they under some kind of ‘card signing’ contract?
amazing insight indeed, wonder what this info will do to the value of his auto cards?
great to see that panini was able to pull off another ‘exclusive’….
great that it was signed on card as well