Leaf Exclusive Nico Hischier

What the heck... Here is the email on the day following our discussion in Hawaii last year.... SURPRISE, NO REPLY:


Brian C. Gray <[email protected]>
2/22/16

to jason_masherah, michael_philli.

Guys,,….

I appreciate the time last night.

While we do not agree on the McDavid/Eichel situation, how it went down and certain entitlements we each feel, we have the ability to make collectors happy and show them that WE collectively care about what THEY want.

Exclusives are the devil. We HATE them… They are BAD for business….

Once again, I would urge you to come to the table and make a formal agreement to no exclusives for 2016/2017 season. I believe our mutual Canadian customers would embrace this and I think it would send a loud message to the hobby in general that the companies care and are willing to put aside their issues to do what is best for the hobby and collectors.

I fully expect you to reject this olive branch (or even possibly hit me with it). BUT, I feel compelled to invite you back to the table in an effort not to fracture the hockey category and avoid unnecessary conflict which will hurt both of our companies and likely our customers as well.

I appreciate the consideration.

We have a lot of water under the bridge together. Despite the comments last night that I am not trust worthy, I believe I have shown incredible respect and confidentiality for our previous relationship and all the “stuff” that came with that.

Please let me know if you desire to pursue this positive direction of co-existence or if you would rather continue down the road we are both traveling at present. I am available to discuss further anytime you wish.


Brian
 
If any of you don't think I care about this hobby and I am not sincere... Read the above...

If you still doubt me, read the above again....

I care about this category and remain steadfast in my belief that this will eventually end in a better place than we sit today.

The above sentiments I shared with UD remain in effect today...
Lets sit down now for the good of the collector and the manufacturers...
Brian
 
I personally hate exclusives for one thing. I love leaf and the ITG for the Vintage I personally believe UD cant keep up in that category. However on the rookie end. People want the NHL team association with the card. Until the UD monopoly with the NHLPA, NHL has come to an end I feel that Leafs rookies will not be able to keep up. Should that come to an end, Leaf will be right there.

As for this years exclusives you have to hope this hurts UD in their pockets. Sure UDS1/S2 are fun set with YGs but the majority of their other products greatly depend on Rookie Autos. UD will release SPA ULTIMAT SPx CUP etc.... at the normal price but they are going to drop quick. Why do I want SPA if I cant get a NP or NH FWA? Why Do I want to pay $600 for the cup for a RP? SPx done.

Next years rookie class is going to be rough. However if you take out the legs they may be forced to compromise. Honestly, If I was Brian, Id keep looking down the pipeline and getting exclusives at 16 and 17 year olds. It may not win today but if you take out their products for years by taking away their selling point. Well now they are coming to your table.
 
No need to apologize for signing exclusives, you own a business and have to compete/survive with no license. UD has been signing exclusives for what, 2 or 3 decades? But they are big bully on the block and feel they are entitled to them and no one else is. If collectors are mad about this, be mad at the NHLPA, they along with UD started this mess and I don't fault a business owner for doing what needs to be done to keep his company afloat and his employees employed.
 
Thanks for always being willing to comment and share Brian. I really hope more companies can get NHL licenses in the future, and I am glad someone is stepping up to try and make things happen. I believe the efforts you are making with exclusives are headed in the right direction, despite some of the consequences for collectors. I look forward to seeing upcoming Leaf releases, and please add some more Iginla to your checklists!!!
 
I'm pretty sad that we are going to get incomplete rookie sets going forward. I get the need to be competitive but hockey is a sport that lives and dies on rookies and taking autographs away from rookie cards hurts everyone.

I do hope the best for your business and know you care. I just don't know if you know the impact you're going to have if both you and UD just keep going down this path.

Thanks for reaching out and appreciate the communication but I hope you can see our point of view.
 
All of your post and emails seem to just point out the fact that UD does not care about what you are doing. They do not wish to end exclusives, they just keep going out and getting the better ones.

McDavid = Generational and best player in the NHL (Or close to it and he is in year 2 of his career)
Matthews = Best Maple Leaf's RC in decades, One of the biggest if not the biggest hockey market in the world and one of the best American born players in the league.
Roy = The best goalie ever (I am biased on this one but I am not alone in this belief)

Eichel - Solid player but he is not collected coast to coast, only hurts BUF collectors who might have wanted an auto rookie card with a logo on it.
Hischier - Looks to be a stud but will be in NJ, so again this will only hurt the Devils collectors who wanted the auto rookie with a logo
Patrick - Again looks to be a good player but not a generational player. This again hurts PHI collectors.

These signings do not hurt UD in the slightest and I do not see the outcry from hobbyists asking UD to stop because people can get an NHL licensed cards from that company.

I understand you are trying to do what is best for your business but not for us. I have been told for well over a year now that we will all be thanking you for what you are doing. I am still not there yet.
 
If signing exclusives is what it takes for Leaf to remain in the hockey card market, then so be it. Monopolies suck and Leaf, to the benefit of fans, are doing their best to end it in the hockey card industry. The less pressure Upper Deck feels in the market, the less they care about customer service, quality control, innovation, price, redemptions etc. Don't underestimate how much the hobby benefits from some competition, even as uneven as the NHLPA is making it. I can't think of a worse scenario than Leaf exiting the hockey card industry and leaving Upper Deck products are only choice. If they found CHL products to be unprofitable, are losing guys like Patrick Roy and then the young guns like Matthews, I can't image much meat left on the bone for Leaf if they don't compete like this. Ya, its a slight inconvenience that a few guys won't have a few cards produced, but keep in mind the hobby as a whole. I also think it says a lot about Leaf that Brian is passionate about his products. I want to see someone like that in the industry, especially now with Dr. Price on the outside.
 
Last edited:
MMarch said:
No need to apologize for signing exclusives, you own a business and have to compete/survive with no license. UD has been signing exclusives for what, 2 or 3 decades? But they are big bully on the block and feel they are entitled to them and no one else is. If collectors are mad about this, be mad at the NHLPA, they along with UD started this mess and I don't fault a business owner for doing what needs to be done to keep his company afloat and his employees employed.
Click to expand...

Thank you.... I appreciate the vote of confidence in our quest to do the best we can given the unfair constraints in the marketplace... Brian
 
walter5o9 said:
I personally hate exclusives for one thing. I love leaf and the ITG for the Vintage I personally believe UD cant keep up in that category. However on the rookie end. People want the NHL team association with the card. Until the UD monopoly with the NHLPA, NHL has come to an end I feel that Leafs rookies will not be able to keep up. Should that come to an end, Leaf will be right there.

As for this years exclusives you have to hope this hurts UD in their pockets. Sure UDS1/S2 are fun set with YGs but the majority of their other products greatly depend on Rookie Autos. UD will release SPA ULTIMAT SPx CUP etc.... at the normal price but they are going to drop quick. Why do I want SPA if I cant get a NP or NH FWA? Why Do I want to pay $600 for the cup for a RP? SPx done.

Next years rookie class is going to be rough. However if you take out the legs they may be forced to compromise. Honestly, If I was Brian, Id keep looking down the pipeline and getting exclusives at 16 and 17 year olds. It may not win today but if you take out their products for years by taking away their selling point. Well now they are coming to your table.
Click to expand...

I may be stupid, but I have to stay the course and have confidence I am on the way to making lasting change.
Thanks for your well thought out post.. Brian
 
tuukkatime said:
I'm pretty sad that we are going to get incomplete rookie sets going forward. I get the need to be competitive but hockey is a sport that lives and dies on rookies and taking autographs away from rookie cards hurts everyone.

I do hope the best for your business and know you care. I just don't know if you know the impact you're going to have if both you and UD just keep going down this path.

Thanks for reaching out and appreciate the communication but I hope you can see our point of view.
Click to expand...

I TOTALLY see your point of view...
I am ready to end the road we are headed on... Is UD?
BG
 
SNobles said:
All of your post and emails seem to just point out the fact that UD does not care about what you are doing. They do not wish to end exclusives, they just keep going out and getting the better ones.

McDavid = Generational and best player in the NHL (Or close to it and he is in year 2 of his career)
Matthews = Best Maple Leaf's RC in decades, One of the biggest if not the biggest hockey market in the world and one of the best American born players in the league.
Roy = The best goalie ever (I am biased on this one but I am not alone in this belief)

Eichel - Solid player but he is not collected coast to coast, only hurts BUF collectors who might have wanted an auto rookie card with a logo on it.
Hischier - Looks to be a stud but will be in NJ, so again this will only hurt the Devils collectors who wanted the auto rookie with a logo
Patrick - Again looks to be a good player but not a generational player. This again hurts PHI collectors.

These signings do not hurt UD in the slightest and I do not see the outcry from hobbyists asking UD to stop because people can get an NHL licensed cards from that company.

I understand you are trying to do what is best for your business but not for us. I have been told for well over a year now that we will all be thanking you for what you are doing. I am still not there yet.
Click to expand...

If you think 17/18 products are going to sell in the same volume without the guys, I am not sure you understand the economics and numbers behind the manufacturing side of things....

Trust me, they care.... if they didn't care, they wouldn't have tried so hard to sign Nico....

In the end, I hope my vision and wisdom proves correct....

The best I can tell, if COLLECTORS are upset.... UD SHOULD CARE...

But, your probably right... They probably don't care (and this includes caring about what collectors want)....

BG
 
This is a classic case of the "little guy" standing up to the "bully". People ***** and moan about Upper Deck customer disservice, redemptions, delayed releases, the same old rehashed checklist in every set every year, ridiculous prices, hit based one pack per box products that kill the set collectors and caters to group breakers, and let's not forget how they provide the Canadian Cartel the ability to hold brick and mortars hostage and end use s get screwed big time up there. But then they turn around and ***** that they can't get a Nolan Patrick auto in an Upper Deck product? Seriously, where are the priorities here?

I won't speak for our Canadian collectors, but here in the States we need more companies and individuals to stand up to the corporate monopolies who bend us over and laugh at us. I say good for Leaf, keep fighting the good fight.
 
LeafCeo said:
I may be stupid, but I have to stay the course and have confidence I am on the way to making lasting change.
Thanks for your well thought out post.. Brian
Click to expand...

Everyone that goes against the grain is stupid in the eyes of many, but when they make that change they become revolutionaries. Keep at it.

They are going to see it this year when their big products take a hit. They (UD) will right it off as a fluke. But Leaf needs to then hit them again the year after, now its a scare, year after becomes a serious threat.

To steal a quote from Walt Disney "...Keep moving forward..."
 
steveottfan said:
If signing exclusives is what it takes for Panini to remain in the hockey card market, then so be it. Monopolies suck and Panini, to the benefit of fans, are doing their best to end it in the hockey card industry. The less pressure Upper Deck feels in the market, the less they care about customer service, quality control, innovation, price, redemptions etc. Don't underestimate how much the hobby benefits from some competition, even as uneven as the NHLPA is making it. I can't think of a worse scenario than Panini exiting the hockey card industry and leaving Upper Deck products are only choice. If they found CHL products to be unprofitable, are losing guys like Patrick Roy and then the young guns like Matthews, I can't image much meat left on the bone for Panini if they don't compete like this. Ya, its a slight inconvenience that a few guys won't have a few cards produced, but keep in mind the hobby as a whole. I also think it says a lot about Panini that Brian is passionate about his products. I want to see someone like that in the industry, especially now with Dr. Price on the outside.
Click to expand...

Its actually Leaf, not Panini....

But, I love your support and posts like this are exactly why we are doing this.

Brian
 
MMarch said:
This is a classic case of the "little guy" standing up to the "bully". People ***** and moan about Upper Deck customer disservice, redemptions, delayed releases, the same old rehashed checklist in every set every year, ridiculous prices, hit based one pack per box products that kill the set collectors and caters to group breakers, and let's not forget how they provide the Canadian Cartel the ability to hold brick and mortars hostage and end use s get screwed big time up there. But then they turn around and ***** that they can't get a Nolan Patrick auto in an Upper Deck product? Seriously, where are the priorities here?

I won't speak for our Canadian collectors, but here in the States we need more companies and individuals to stand up to the corporate monopolies who bend us over and laugh at us. I say good for Leaf, keep fighting the good fight.
Click to expand...

Thank you.. for a minute there, I thought a few posters wanted us to lay down and BEG Upper Deck to abuse us....
BG
 
walter5o9 said:
Everyone that goes against the grain is stupid in the eyes of many, but when they make that change they become revolutionaries. Keep at it.

They are going to see it this year when their big products take a hit. They (UD) will right it off as a fluke. But Leaf needs to then hit them again the year after, now its a scare, year after becomes a serious threat.

To steal a quote from Walt Disney "...Keep moving forward..."
Click to expand...

Appreciate the post, but my sincere hope is that there is NEVER another exclusive. My hope is that next year is the year of the collector... and we focus on the HOBBY and not the BUSINESS.

Brian
 
I've pretty much left the hockey card segment because of all the BS. I tend to agree UD has caused many of the issues of late and I don't think they care about the collector as much as Leaf and Brian Price. That said, EVERYONE has thrown fuel on the fire, no company is innocent or absent from the shennnagians. I only hope this hobby survives and gets back to its roots with kids. If you don't take care of the up and coming generation, you're doomed.
 
TheGriceBoys said:
I've pretty much left the hockey card segment because of all the BS. I tend to agree UD has caused many of the issues of late and I don't think they care about the collector as much as Leaf and Brian Price. That said, EVERYONE has thrown fuel on the fire, no company is innocent or absent from the shennnagians. I only hope this hobby survives and gets back to its roots with kids. If you don't take care of the up and coming generation, you're doomed.
Click to expand...

Good stuff... Sorry you've grown frustrated with the category...
I'm optimistic the day you are seeking will come.. Brian
 

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