Topps, the legendary trading card company since 1938, has signed a deal with Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna that will allow the brand to sell exclusive cards and autographed items.
McKenna enters his first season with Penn State with a resume that has him projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
During McKenna’s time in the Western Hockey League, he helped lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to the WHL Championship last season after having 173 points in 76 games.
The effort by McKenna made him the third youngest recipient of the David Branch Player of the Year Award for the top player in the CHL. The only younger recipients were Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.
Topps was purchased by sports merchandise conglomerate Fanatics for $500 million in 2022.
The current NHL trading card license has belonged to Upper Deck since 2004, the move is seen as a way of positioning Topps to return to the hockey card market.
Topps produced hockey card sets almost on an annual basis in the United States between 1954-2004.
The season opens in Tempe, Arizona for the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions as they take on No. 14 Arizona State at the Mullett Arena. The puck is scheduled to drop at 10 PM (Eastern) broadcast on NHL Network, steaming on the NHL YouTube Channel.
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