2017-18 Imports Dragon NHL Figures add hockey legends to the mix

August 25, 2017

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For the third straight season, hockey fans will be able to get 6″ scale versions of many of their favorite stars as 2017-18 Imports Dragon NHL Figures return to mass market retail and hobby store shelves.

The roster this time around features several of today’s biggest names, but for the first time, some of the game’s legends will be added to the line – most notably the incredible trio of Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy, and Gordie Howe.

The lineup of legends is augmented by Ed Belfour in his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey along with 1980s Montreal Canadiens star Mats Naslund, who will be wearing the distinct Jofa helmet that was popular at the time. As for Gretzky, there will be both an Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers version on the market. Roy is wearing his Montreal Canadiens jersey and Howe will be the first helmetless figure in the line.

The base for the legends among the 2017-18 Imports Dragon NHL Figures notes their eras with their teams, but the image provided for the Howe figure says 1949-1971. While he started with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946-47, he wore #17 in his rookie season and part of the 1947-48 campaign. Once the physical figure is on the market, it can be determined if this error went out to the public.

Moving on to the rest of the 2017-18 Imports Dragon NHL Figures series, the roster features a solid mix of players from Canadian teams and American ones. Montreal Canadiens fans will like seeing a figure of new roster addition Jonathan Drouin along with the popular Alex Galchenyuk. Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine get figures in time for their sophomore seasons and the Edmonton Oilers are represented by the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The balance of this series is made up of Patrice Bergeron, Braden Holtby, Jack Eichel, Ryan McDonagh, and Patrick Kane.

Imports Dragon is also slated to be offering up a pair of three-packs of the 6″ scale figures in addition to a few limited variants. Confirmed variants include alternate jerseys for Gretzky, Howe, Laine, and Matthews.

For even bigger fun, there will be three figures offered at the 12″ scale. In addition to Matthews, the collection will include Sidney Crosby and Tuukka Rask.

Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Hockey, Beckett Basketball, and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at slaroche@beckett.com or follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.