Photo credit: Panini
Earlier in the week, Washington Capitals prospect Tom Wilson participated in the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase. The two-day event, held in Wilson’s hometown of Toronto, Ontario, brought dozens of the NHL’s most talented prospects together so that NHLPA partners Panini and Upper Deck could take photos and collect signatures for future trading cards. Big names at the event included 2013 first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon, third overall pick Jonathan Drouin, and that one Subban who plays goalie.
On day one, the players were split into groups and led through a series of sessions with Upper Deck and Panini. The uber-talented prospects signed helmets, sticks, and jerseys that will be sliced up and put into cards. Above, you can see that Wilson signed some cards with “Go Caps!”
Once the prospects were done signing and their hands were sufficiently cramped, handlers herded them into a room hosted by EA Sports, which probably did not help their sore hands. The players took 3D headshots (to be used in the NHL15) and then tried out the unreleased NHL14. Later, the players had a pretty intense tournament on the upcoming new release and Wilson– in the words of the NHLPA — won, “fearlessly dominating the entire group.” ‘Atta boiiii.
Wilson is as intense playing the video game as he is out on the ice.
“It was a lot of fun,” Wilson told NHL.com’s Tal Pinchevsky. “[MacKinnon] was up 4-2 and I came all the way back. I think he was a little bit rattled. He was upset, but it was a good game and definitely a fun tournament.”
On day two, the players woke up early and met at the nearby MasterCard Centre in Mississauga for a full day of photo shoots on and off the ice. Getty Images took photos of the players in and out of their NHL team uniforms.
Then: actual hockey. Wilson played on the losing Team White, which is completely unacceptable.
Finally, Wilson made his own hand-drawn card. Every year, Panini forces artistically-challenged prospects to draw and color something important to them. Wilson chose to draw the Canadian flag.
Look how proud he is.
Below, I share another 3 gigabytes of media from the event. You’re welcome.
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: NHLPA
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: Panini
Photo credit: EA Sports
Photo credit: @Rammer34
Photo credit: @Rammer34
Photo credit: @PaniniAmerica
Photo credit: @PaniniAmerica
Wilson is on the bottom all the way to the left. (Photo credit: NHLPA)
How cool does MacKinnon look while doing this?
“@tom_wilso: Sleepinnnn @Mackinnon9 pic.twitter.com/Ni7bhBWQDg” I’m getting picked on today by you and @Monahan20
— Nathan Mackinnon (@Mackinnon9) August 28, 2013
