Canada Post unveils NHL Hall of Fame stamps
With Canada's passion for hockey and the 100-year anniversary of the National Hockey League approaching in 2017, Canada Post is releasing new stamps to commemorate Hall of Fame players. The new collections celebrate champion Canadian defensemen from the Original Six teams in the league and Canada's seven NHL teams' logos and their Zambonis, according to a press release from Canada Post. The new stamps are the result of Canada Post's partnership with the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Original Six series will feature stamps of Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins, Tim Horton of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pierre Pilote of the Chicago Blackhawks, Red Kelly of the Detroit Red Wings, Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens and Harry Howell of the New York Rangers. All of these players were awarded the Norris trophy for best defenseman except for Horton. However, he was a three-time member of the NHL's First All-Star Team and came in second for the Norris Trophy twice.
Stamp collections expected to spark excitement about NHL centennial
The NHL doubled in size to 12 teams in 1967. Orr played one season during the Original Six era and Howell won the Norris trophy that year, but the stamps feature images of the players after this time, NHL.com reported. The six honorees were also part of a total of 22 Stanley Cup winning teams.
The stamps were created by Avi Dunkelman and Joseph Gault of Toronto-based Mix Design Group, and they said it was challenging to transfer old photos to a small stamp format. The images were provided by the Hockey Hall of Fame and needed to be scanned, have the background removed and the colors enhanced.
"Hockey is Canada's passion," said Deepak Chopra, president and CEO of Canada Post. "The legendary players we've immortalized on these stamps capture part of this country's hockey story. These men inspired a generation, and their brilliance filled a nation with pride and joy. More than a few NHL players were born of the dreams instilled in them as boys by these stars."
Canada Post has created more than 50 different NHL-themed stamps since 1992, including a series in 2000 of the best starting Canadian lineup. The new stamps can be a great opportunity for Canadian companies that utilize postal software to create compelling marketing materials.