Esso Power Players was a hockey trading card scheme dreamed up by Imperial Oil and the NHLPA (National Hockey League Player's Association) in the 1970-71 hockey season. Every time a customer purchased fuel at an Esso station (in Canada), they received a small packet of "Power Players Trader's Cards." These were then pasted into an album. Two albums were available, the standard (paperback) issue, and a "deluxe" hardcover edition. The front cover of the softcover album read, in French, 'NHL Les Grands Du Hockey Album" and English, "NHL Power Player Saver."
At the time, there were 14 teams in the National Hockey League, and each team page had spots for 18 player cards, which were about half the size of a hockey card, cut horizontally.
Along with the cards, collectors got a plastic wallet which folded in half and when opened, had four slots for storing cards.