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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Collectibles |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Dr.Brian H. Price |
| Defunct | 2014; 11 years ago (2014) |
| Fate | Name acquired by Leaf |
| Successor | Leaf |
In The Game (ITG) was asports card manufacturing company founded by Brian H. Price in 1998 with its head office in theUnited States and an office inCanada.[1] The company mainly producedice hockey trading cards. In 2014 the right to use the "In The Game" name was transferred to Leaf Trading Cards in Dallas, Texas.
In The Game's first entrance into the trading card market came in the 1998-1999 season, when they produced the "Be A Player" brand trading cards in partnership with theNHL Player's Association (NHLPA). Be A Player featured one certified autograph card per pack. Since then, In The Game has expanded its production to include other sets.
In 1998, Price was asked byTed Saskin of the NHLPA to determine what should be done with the NHLPA's Be A Player hockey product. The product was started in 1994 and was supposed to give to each of the NHLPA licensees for two years.Pinnacle Brands had the license for 1996 and 1997 but they went bankrupt and Be A Player needed a home. Price was hired by the NHLPA as a consultant to determine the fate of Be A Player. He advised Saskin that theUpper Deck Company should be given back the Be A Player brand because of collector loyalty. However, Saskin asked Price if he would come back into the hockey card market and manufacture Be A Player in partnership with the NHLPA. Price agreed and In The Game, Inc. was founded.
In 2005, in conjunction with the2004-05 NHL lockout, the NHLPA terminated its license agreement with In The Game. Trying to prove to the NHLPA executive committee that he could leave the position of Licensing Director and take the position Executive Director, Ted Saskin gave Upper Deck a five year exclusive license to produce hockey cards and In The Game's NHLPA License was over. The company continued to produce trading card sets featuring active and retiredNHL players and minor/junior hockey players. After the 2005-06 season, In The Game obtained a license to produce cards featuring players and logos under the umbrella ofHockey Canada.[2] During the 2006-07 season, ITG produced the International Ice Signature Series along with boxed sets commemorating gold medal wins by theCanada Women's National Ice Hockey Team andCanada Men's National Junior Ice Hockey Team. However, ITG lost theirAmerican Hockey League licensing to Upper Deck in June 2014.
In 2010, ITG also made a brief foray into baseball cards, releasing one set featuring top prospects before running into further licensing issues.
In 2014, the assets owned by In The Game and the In The Game trade name were sold to Leaf Trading Cards in Dallas, Texas.
