First look: 2011-12 Pinnacle Hockey

By Andrew Tolentino | Hockey Editor

Busy primping its pinnacle 2010-11 product (Dominion), Panini America managed to deliver details about its actual Pinnacle brand.

The manufacturer previewed 2011-12 Pinnacle, noting that “the longstanding staple will pack several new enhancements when it release[s] to the hobby.” In addition to the staples that make the staple, the forthcoming release will also include an Ice Breakers Rookie Card aesthetic with a Nufex twist, six-piece memorabilia cards dubbed “Starting 6 Threads” and rare-how-rare?-one-per-case-rare Pinnacle Black hits.

Each box of Panini’s sophomore-year Pinnacle product will yield:

• Four Ice Breakers Rookie Cards
• One Home Game Materials memorabilia card
• One Pinnacle Threads memorabilia card
• Two Tough Times inserts
• Three Breakthroughs inserts
• One Rink Collection parallel

Ice Breakers, Tough Times and Fans of the Game cards all fall in autograph form, and are critical components to the following Pinnacle case odds:

• Six Team Pinnacle cards
• Six Canvas Creations
• Three prime memorabilia cards
• Two Pinnacle Revolution inserts
• Three Pinnacle Captains cards

• Four Ice Breakers autographs
• One Home Game Signatures autograph
• One (hard-signed) Tough Times autograph
• Two (hard-signed) Private Signings autographs
• One Fans of the Game autograph

This time around for Fans of the Game cards, Panini has apparently traded teen heartthrob Justin Bieber for Alyssa Milano, Jamie Pressley, and used-to-be-teen-heartthrobs the Hanson Brothers.
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2011-12 Pinnacle MMMDrops on hobby shelves in late November. Stay tuned to Beckett.com for further details.

Ryan Getzlaf on one of the six-per-case Team Pinnacle cards

Sidney Crosby is back ... at least on Panini's one-per-case Pinnacle Black hits.

Alex Ovechkin featured on a six-per-case Canvas Creations card.

Cody Hodgson showcased on an Ice Breakers Rookie Card.

Members from the championship Bruins team make for a menacing Starting 6 memorabilia hit.