In The Game Inks "Le Magnifique" To An Exclusive Hobby Deal!

One of hockey's most spectacular performers, and an all-time great in the field of professional sports, "Le Magnifique" will autograph cards exclusively for In the Game during the upcoming campaign. Lemieux will also appear exclusively on packaging, advertising, and sales material for various Be A Player and Parkhurst brands.

"When it comes to the quality and integrity of our products, we will settle for nothing less than the best," explained In the Game President Dr. Brian H. Price. "That's why we wanted to align ourselves with Mario. There is no questioning his quality and integrity as a player. He is an outstanding citizen and role model, both on and off the ice. Being the only hockey card manufacturer to provide his autographed cards, and to have someone of his stature representing our products speaks volumes to the hobby."

The history of the relationship between Lemieux and In the Game goes back several seasons. Not only has the company issued a variety of cards featuring Lemieux as an active player, In the Game also produced a number of Lemieux cards during his three-and-a-half year retirement.

The 1998-99 Signature Series included a four-card Legend set featuring Lemieux's autograph and game-used memorabilia pieces. The 1999-2000 Millennium Signature Series featured Lemieux in the Pearson Award insert set including a scarce signed version. Another 10-card Lemieux Legend series was incorporated in the 2000-01 Memorabilia Series. And soon after Lemieux's comeback in the 2000-01 campaign, he was featured in three different insert sets in the 2000-01 Signature Series: a 20-card Retrospective set; a five-card Legend set; and an extremely rare autographed version of the Legend set.

"Mario is one of those rare few performers who remains highly collectible under any circumstance," says Price. "No matter how much longer he plays and how many more records he breaks, he has reached a level of popularity that is virtually unparalleled. Our new agreement will enhance the caliber of what we present to collectors. It is always an honor to work with him."

Price indicated that plans are in the works for a number of Lemieux-themed collectibles in the company's 2002-03 lineup. Among them will be an insert set entitled "Magnificent Inserts" which will be offered in portions across several brands throughout the season.

In the Game's initial release for the 2002-03 season will be entitled "First Edition" and it will also be the first brand in which Lemieux will appear on the packaging and related advertising. As a result of public demand, there will be both Hobby and Retail versions of this product.

First Edition is comprised of a 400-card base set incorporating a number of appealing short-printed subsets including Up Close and Personal, NHL Stats Leaders, Franchise Players, and NHL All-Star Starting Lineups.

The inserts in the Hobby version consist of 160 game-worn jersey cards, the 20-card NHL Debut game-worn jersey set, and the 20-card Team Scoring Leaders game-worn jersey set. You will also find 25 cards (non-memorabilia) from an insert set entitled First-Round Draft Picks.

The Retail version will include 130 game-worn jersey cards as well as an additional 25 cards (non-memorabilia) from the First Round Draft Picks insert set. Between the Hobby and Retail versions, there will be 50 First Round Draft Picks cards in total.

First Edition also marks the continuation of the popular He Shoots-He Scores decoy card/redemption point program. The product is scheduled for release August 21, 2002.