Just before the hockey season kicks off every year, we catch a glimpse of hockey’s immediate future at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase event.
For the fifth year in a row, 27 of the NHL’s top prospective and rookie players will arrive in Toronto on Monday, September 2nd, for a two-day experience that offers our official trading card partners – Panini America and Upper Deck – an exclusive opportunity to collect photos and signatures that will be used for upcoming trading card and memorabilia items. The event will mark the first time some of these players are photographed in their official NHL team uniforms and gear.
EA Sports will also be at the event, previewing NHL 14 to the rookies, as well as taking 3D head scans of the players to be used in their upcoming NHL 15 video game.
Memorial Cup Champions and junior teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin - two of the top three 2013 NHL Entry Draft picks – are just two of the many up-and-coming stars attending this event:
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Player
NHL Team
Twitter Handle
Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado Avalanche
Follow @Mackinnon9
Tyler Biggs
Toronto Maple Leafs
Follow @Tyler_Biggs
Brendan Gallagher
Montreal Canadiens
Follow @BGally17
Jonathan Drouin
Tampa Bay Lightning
Follow @JDrouin27
Cory Conacher
Ottawa Senators
Follow @ConHockey19
Bo Horvat
Vancouver Canucks
Follow @BoHorvat
Sean Monahan
Calgary Flames
Follow @Monahan20
Malcolm Subban
Boston Bruins
Follow @SubbZero30
Christian Thomas
Montreal Canadiens
Follow @CPT27
Adam Clendening
Chicago Blackhawks
Follow @Clenny5
Mathew Dumba
Minnesota Wild
Mikhail Grigorenko
Buffalo Sabres
Tomas Hertl
San Jose Sharks
Boone Jenner
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nic Jensen
Vancouver Canucks
Danny Kristo
New York Rangers
Follow @DKristo7
Dylan McIlrath
New York Rangers
Follow @Dylan_McIllrath
Mark McNeill
Chicago Blackhawks
Follow @McNeill9
Jon Merrill
New Jersey Devils
Petr Mrazek
Detroit Red Wings
Valeri Nichushkin
Dallas Stars
Tanner Pearson
Los Angeles Kings
Follow @TannerPearson14
Derrick Pouliot
Pittsburgh Penguins
Follow @DPouliot51
Matt Puempel
Ottawa Senators
Follow @MPuempel
Ty Rattie
St. Louis Blues
Follow @TyRattie8
Tom Wilson
Washington Capitals
Follow @Tom_Wilso
Due to the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, this year’s Rookie Showcase has a unique chance to invite players from two Rookie Classes. Eight of this year’s Showcase attendees have had a first taste of NHL hockey, while the remainder have yet to make their NHL debuts. All will see their Rookie Cards debut for the first time in 2013-14 NHL Trading Card releases from Upper Deck and Panini under the highly-anticipated Double-Rookie-Class banner.
We will be covering the NHLPA Rookie Showcase live on Twitter and Facebook, giving fans a unique opportunity to get to know these players a little better. On Monday, August 26th, we will have the rookies answer your questions via Twitter. Tweet yours using #AskARookie and follow along with the event by searching #RookieShowcase.
We’re also shooting interviews and videos at the event for our Meet The Rookies series. Get geared up for next week by revisiting last year’s rookie profile videos: