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McFarlane Sports Picks is the name given to the line of sports-related action figures released by McFarlane Toys, a company founded by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. The figures feature lifelike renderings of select stars in the four most popular sports in North America - hockey, football, baseball and basketball. The company has official licensing rights to the major professional leagues of each of these sports.
Contents
- Beginnings
- Chase vs Variant
- Packaging
- NHLPA Series 1 2000
- NHLPA Series 2 2000
- Series 1 2001
- Series 1 Repaints 2001
- Series 2 2002
- Series 3 2002
- Series 4 2003
- Series 5 2003
- Series 6 2003
- Series 7 2004
- Series 8 2004
- Series 9 2004
- Series 10 2005
- Series 11 2005
- Series 12 2006
- Series 13 2006
- Series 14 2007
- Series 15 2007
- Series 16 2007
- Series 17 2008
- Series 18 2008
- Series 19 HYBRID 2008
- Series 20 2008
- Series 21 2009
- Series 22 2009
- Series 23 2010
- Collectors Level
- Series 24 2010
- Series 25 2010
- Series 26 2010
- Series 27 2010
- Series 28 2011
- Series 29 2011
- Series 30 2012
- Series 31 2012
- Series 32 2012
- Series 33 2013
- NHL Legends Series 1 2004
- NHL Legends Series 2 2005
- NHL Legends Series 3 2006
- NHL Legends Series 4 2006
- NHL Legends Series 5 2007
- NHL Legends Series 6 2007
- NHL Legends Series 7 2008
- NHL Legends Series 8 2009
- NHL Goalie Nets
- NHL 3 Inch
- NHL 3 Series 1
- NHL 3 Series 2
- NHL 3 Series 3
- NHL 3 Series 4
- NHL 3 Series 5
- NHL 3 Series 6
- 12 Inch Series 1
- 12 Inch Series 2
- 12 Inch Legends Series
- 12 Inch Bobby Orr Exclusive
- 12 Inch Series 3
- Team Canada Series 2005
- Team Canada 2010 Series 1 2010
- Team Canada 2010 Series 2 2010
- Team Canada 2010 Series 3 2010
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2008
- 2009
- Exclusives
- Store Exclusives
- Grosnors Exclusives
- Event Exclusives
- Stadium Exclusives
- Notable cancellations
- Awards
- 2007
- Flaws
- References
Beginnings
An avid sports fan, collector of sports memorabilia and a former part-owner of a professional hockey team (Edmonton Oilers), Todd McFarlane created McFarlane Sports Picks in 2000 with the release of a series of NHL hockey players. The figures were licensed by the NHLPA but not by the league itself; as such, the players' jerseys featured the colours of the teams for which they played, but the NHLPA logo in place of the team logos (which the NHL holds rights to).
The figures proved to be popular enough with fans and collectors that the NHL signed a licensing agreement with McFarlane, allowing future releases to be branded with league and team logos.
Later in 2001, McFarlane Sports Picks released Series 1 of their NHL line, and Series 1 & 2 of their NFL line.
Chase vs. Variant
Quoted from Mark Weber (McFarlane: Sports Brand Manager)
Q: What's the difference between a "chase figure" and a "variant?"
A chase figure is a different version (the differences usually involve paint application, but could also be sculpt or accessory changes) of a regular figure, intentionally produced and generally released in limited numbers. For example, Nomar Garciaparra in MLB 9 was painted in his road gray uniform, but there are a small number of the same figure painted in the home white uniform. Those white-uniform Nomar figures are chase figures. All four figures in Spawn Series 16: Nitro Riders were released in both pewter- and gold-washed chase versions in addition to the regular fully painted figures. Almost every sports figure—and a lesser number of non-sports figures—has a chase version.
A variant figure is a paint or accessory difference from the “normal” figure that is often unintentional. Sometimes, these are production errors or glitches that occur at the factory and might be released into distribution before the mistake is caught and corrected. An example would be the Redeemer figure from Spawn Series 25 with different gradations of green paint on his wings or the Anthony Thomas figure from NFL 5, some of which had different coloured mouthguards"
On April 11, 2008, McFarlane Toys made an announcement on their new chase figures. There will now be a new form of chase figures surfacing on the market. There have been the traditional chases like alternate, third jersey, retro's and throwbacks. Now the release of new chases will be minor tweaks or variations to the current jersey of the regular figure. These are most likely to be removal or addition of captaincies or the addition of patches.
On October 31, 2008, McFarlane Toys announced that they recognized the disappointment within their customer base regarding the "tweak" chase system. Because of this, they will bring back the traditional jersey chase which includes alternate and retro uniforms starting with their MLB 2009 Wave 1 lineup.
Starting with their Series 23 line, a new "Collector Level" chase system will be implemented. Chase figures will be announced and classified into levels. Depending on the level, only a certain production run will be available to collectors. Below is an example of their new Collector Level System.
Level/Production Number
MVP = 1-50 ALL STAR = 50-100 PREMIER = 100-250 GOLD = 250-500 SILVER = 500-1000 BRONZE = 1000-3000
Packaging
When the NHLPA figures were first released, they were cardback packaged but once the first NHL licensed series came out, McFarlane decided to use "clamshell" blister packaging. Since the Series 1 to Series 14, the figures have had the same packaging design. From the start of Series 15, the company decided to change the packaging design which took on a more "streamline" look. The Series 15 design would eventually evolve into a more compact version at the start of NHL 16 and Legends 6. The amount of space that was reduced would also influence the size of the new bases and also eliminated the addition of a net for goalies.
On April 11, 2008, McFarlane Toys announced their plans to redesign their current packaging. Instead of having a full blister packaging, they have returned to their traditional cardback packaging. After their release, there have been mixed reactions from collectors mainly those who like to keep their figures mint on card. The lines to first debut this new packaging is the NFL Legends 4 and their Halo series 2 lines.
On February 5, 2010, McFarlane Toys announced a return to a clamshell packaging. They will resemble the cardback packaging and according to McFarlane Toys, will "streamline the look of the lines, but also give collectors that extra durability they have been asking for." McFarlane states that the new packaging will be in use beginning with the MLB Cooperstown Series 7.
NHLPA Series 1 (2000)
-The Roy was produced with five water bottle variations. (Generic White / NHLPA / Bell Logo / Gatorade logo with white or black lid)
-The Kariya figure was packaged in two different ways. Once facing Left, and the other facing right.
NHLPA Series 2 (2000)
Series 1 (2001)
-The Forsberg figure was produced with two variations, one of which has blue eyes and the other with brown eyes.
Series 1 Repaints (2001)
-The Steve Yzerman was supposed to be made only in the red jersey but a paint mix up had them produce him in his white uniform. Production halted and eventually the corrected red version was made. There were enough white versions made of Yzerman that eventually there were shipped out as well.
-The goalie bottles can increase the value of the figure. Those with a team logo on them are more valuable than those without.
Series 2 (2002)
-Both Thornton and Hasek regulars have been mistaken as their chase figures due to the prototype image on the packaging features them in the opposite uniform.
-A second wave of white Hasek figures were produced with a lighter hue of red that was more accurate to the Red Wings uniforms as opposed to the dark red that was used. The Hull figure did not receive such treatment.
-Just like the players on the ice, the figures in this series include 9/11 patches or markings on some part of the uniform (jersey or helmet) to remember the attacks on the World Trade Center the year before.
-With this series debuting the new Powerade water bottles, a Hasek figure has been seen with an older water bottle like those in Series 1 with the red wings logo. The value on the figure is unknown.
-Though the Red Wings figures have been made in more of a darker red than what they normally wear, there are a few "Pink Haseks" out on the market which have Hasek in a much lighter tone of red.
-Prototype photos of a Dallas Star Brett Hull are around the net. His Star figure was cancelled since he went to the Red Wings after the initial figure was announced.
Series 3 (2002)
-During the production of this series, Mike Modano was produced with a major error having the top part of the team socks in black rather than green. The last wave of figures hitting the market saw the error corrected. Numbers of how many are corrected are unknown but it is quite hard to come by one of them.
Series 4 (2003)
-The Tommy Salo figure was the same sculpt as the figure's first release in Series 2; the Series 4 figure features Salo sporting the Oilers' alternate third jersey, the logo on which was designed by Todd McFarlane himself.
-There are four versions of the Kovalchuk and Roenick figures that have been mass-produced. The difference is on the helmet. There's the Thashers/Flyers text logo and the Thrashers/Flyers image logo, both were produced on the regular and chase figure.
Series 5 (2003)
Series 5 was unique in that it featured only players on Canadian NHL teams. The figures were available only in Canada, however the McFarlane Toys Collectors' Club allowed limited numbers of the figures to be released in the United States.
-The Patrick Roy figure were exclusive to Wal-Mart while the Mark Messier figures were exclusive to other retailers such as Toys R Us, Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws etc.
-Production photos showed collectors that the Joe Sakic figure would be produced in his blue Nordiques jersey as a regular, when the figures hit retail, collectors were surprised to find that the blue jersey's were only available at wal-mart and the white jersey available at other retailers. Thus the white jersey Sakic is more common than the blue.
-Marian Hossa, like the NHL 3 Modano was mass-produced with an error. The left arm was made with the wrong jersey colours so the regular had the chase's left arm and the chase had the regular's left arm. These would eventually be corrected just like Modano in the last wave. Both corrected figures command a premium over their uncorrected counterparts.
Series 6 (2003)
-Originally the Selanne and Carter figures were to depict their current team when originally announced, the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers respectively. Since both players went to new team, McFarlane was able to make jersey corrections for the figures.
-The Teemu Selanne Winnipeg Jets figure was produced in two different versions; a vast majority were made with the #8 jersey he wore after his rookie season but only 13 figures were made featuring his rookie #13 jersey, the year in which when he broke the NHL record for most goals scored by a rookie (76). This figure has been seen on both Avalanche and Jets packaging.
-On February 23, 2008 one of the 13 Selannes surfaced on E-Bay. The starting bid was at US$2,000. The auction ended on March 4, 2008 with the figure totaling 15 bids from nine different bidders to achieve the final value of US$8,500 US. Another Selanne (AFA Graded 85) surfaced on May 30, 2009, with a "Buy It Now" price of US$25,000 and was purchased the next day, officially crowning it the most expensive McFarlane figure to date.
-The Steve Yzerman figure was produced to celebrate his Stanley Cup win in 2002, thus no chase was made. Yzerman's initial sculpt had him with facial hair during the last wave of figures; he received an updated head sculpt and has a "clean shaven" look to make it more accurate as to when he won the Cup.
-Patrick Roy had just announced his retirement some time after the lineup was unveiled. TMP was still allowed to produce Roy and took advantage by producing him in his third Jersey. The third Jersey version is hard to come by and is quite valuable.
-McFarlane collectors have complained of the head sculpt of Vincent Lecavalier. The prototype photos have the sculpt looking like the actual player but the finished product looks more like Claude Lemieux. Lecavalier is missing a grey strip on his socks and also he and Khabibulin are missing the lighting bolts on the sides of their pants.
-Notice 2003 was the year that the NHL decided to switch home and away uniforms with each other to give fans the opportunity to see their home team play in their dark colours. Selanne is the only one switched as TMP intended to make him in his Sharks uniform. Since Selanne signed with Colorado in 03, he is listed as "Away (White)" than "Home (White)".
Series 7 (2004)
-In early production photos, Todd Bertuzzi's socks were missing the navy striping and the newly added vintage shoulder patch. Eventually these mistake would be fixed but some of the white socked Bertuzzi's made it to retail.
Series 8 (2004)
Series 8 was another series released exclusively to Canadian retailers.
-The original lineup had a Calgary Flames MacInnis in the works for a release, but the license to produce the figure was turned down.
-The Chelios figure uses the same sculpt as the one released in Series 7
-Vintage and Retro, there's a difference between the two. Vintage refers to a retro jersey that has been brought back into the league for game play such as the Canucks Vintage Blue "Hockey Stick" jersey or the 1980s Oilers jersey. Retro refers to a figure sporting a jersey the once wore. 2003 saw Vintage jerseys make a come back for special meetings between teams.
-Many, if not all, Trevor Linden figures were shipped with left-handed sticks, despite his right-handed stance.
Series 9 (2004)
-The Brodeur figure is just like the Yzerman figure in series 6, featuring him celebrating his 2003 Stanley Cup win.
Series 10 (2005)
Series 11 (2005)
Series 11 was another series released exclusively to Canadian retailers.
-Ales Hemsky's chase figure was mass-produced with an error by not having his collar painted on the jersey.
Series 12 (2006)
With the exception of Crosby, each figure in this series is a re-release of an existing sculpt updated to the new teams the players signed with following the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
-Though Roenick had played with the Phoenix Coyotes on two different occasions, he left in 2001 before signing back after going from the Flyers and Kings. The figure sports Roenick during his time with them from 1996 to 2001.
Series 13 (2006)
-Tanguay was first announced when he was playing for the Colorado Avalanche but during the off season, Alex joined the Calgary Flames. With prototype photos shown of him in his Avalanche uniform, TMP managed to make that version the chase figure. Recently, someone had found a Flames Tanguay with the number 18 instead of 40. Alex never wore the number 18 but it is assumed that TMP made the applicator for the number 18 in case Alex managed to wear that number. So how that applicator was used and thus the #18 Tanguay was released into the market. It is still unknown as to how many made it out of the factory.
-The Ovechkin chase features him in his black jersey, but McFarlane made an error on the logo. Instead of the white border, they used gold.
-The Sedin figures are insert figures that never made an appearance in any of the original lineups so they take the pose of an existing figure that closely represents their playing style (just like the NFL Series 11 Jason Elam figure which used Adam Vinatieri's pose). Both Daniel and Henrik share the pose of Rick Nash in their blue jerseys.
-Bryan McCabe's chase figure has him without a helmet sporting his mohawk, Bryan's figure is the first in the NHL series to have a no helmet chase (similar to the NFL series.)
Series 14 (2007)
-Series 14 was unique in the way that it featured a double figure (Curtis Joseph); the two goalies were originally scheduled for a U.S/Canada split with the Oilers Joseph going to Canada and the Coyotes Joseph going to the United States, however TMP changed their minds and decided to share both figures evenly.
-Originally, Sidney Crosby (2) was supposed to be in the line-up but due to some issues, he was pushed back to NHL 16. The Hossa figure, originally planned as a surprise repaint, was then used to replace the removed Crosby.
Series 15 (2007)
Exclusive to Canadian retailers.
-Though it was not shown through the original prototype photos, the Staal figure features the 2006 Stanley Cup patch to commemorate the team's first Championship title.
Series 16 (2007)
NHL 16 will see the new team jersey designs made by the NHL with Reebok hence the figures will be 100% new sculpts.
-Though the New Reebok Edge jerseys do not have them, McFarlane Toys mistakenly applied the NHL Shield on the lower right hand corner of the jerseys on each player. The new Edge jerseys involved a switch in location for the shields and can be seen on the players collar.
Series 17 (2008)
-The series received two new additions to the lineup with Linden and Sakic. Originally the two were released in NHL 8 and NHL 9. This series will feature the two repainted in their former colours. Linden will be featured in the black "Flying Skate" which he wore when he led the Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals versus the Rangers. And Sakic, though a Nordiques version has been made in Series 5, an update pose for him was called for.
Series 18 (2008)
NHL 18 will be another Canadian Exclusive line.
-The series consists of 3 newly sculpted poses (Emery, Staal and Sakic) while the rest are repaints of their previous figures (LaFleur, Sundin) or head swaps (Souray/Jagr).
-The series is the first time that McFarlane has sculpted tape work on players' sticks instead of using paper tape.
Series 19 (HYBRID) (2008)
NHL 19 will be the first series to combine both current and former NHL stars in one series.
-Though the previous Don Cherry figure was made depicting him as a CBC Hockey Night In Canada broadcaster. This second version will be depicting him as the Bruins coach. It will also be the first ever coach figure made in any Sports Picks line. Don's pose is based on a "team practice" which is quite unique.
-Fuhr and Esposito were made in those uniforms despite not making any major impact on those teams.
-Like the Joseph figure in NHL 14, both versions of Fuhr will be made in a 50/50 split.
-Several figures in the series were produced with coloured plastic parts rather than the regular fashion which was white plastic painted to corresponding colours. This new process came as a surprise and made the figures look less realistic than their previous releases.
Series 20 (2008)
NHL 20 will be the first series to introduce the tweak chase system.
-Dion Phaneuf was a last minute add on to the series. He was originally released in NHL 15 but due to the sculpted laces on the jersey, he was not able to have a chase figure in the Flames white jersey due to the designs. Since the new Edge jerseys supported the laces on the white uniforms, McFarlane decided to take advantage of the opportunity to make Dion in his NHL 15 pose with the Edge design.
-Daniel Sedin will be featured in Joe Sakic's NHL 18 pose which is also shared by his brother Henrik, who is available in the home jersey as a Grosnors Exclusive.
Series 21 (2009)
-The series consists of two repaints (Tanguay, Souray), two head swaps (Price, Stastny) and four original poses (Crosby, Spezza, Sundin, Luongo).
-Sheldon is featured in the Oilers' newly designed third jersey, which reflects upon the teams original colours during their "glory years."
-Sundin is showcased in a unique pose where he is walking onto the ice from the bench.
-Crosby's figure specifically depicts him during the 2008 NHL Winter Classic held in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Sidney scored the shootout winner for the Penguins against Buffalo star Ryan Miller.
Series 22 (2009)
-Originally, a Shane Doan figure was scheduled to be released in the lineup but was later cancelled by McFarlane. There were originally two figures, one as a Phoenix Coyote and the other as a Winnipeg Jet. The Jets version will now be randomly inserted into cases as a Super Chase figure. Only 1,996 will be produced to commemorate the last year of the Jets organization before the team moved to Phoenix.
-Martin Brodeur became the all-time NHL leader in regular season wins by a goaltender with 552 during the 2008–09 season, breaking all-time great Patrick Roy's record. To commemorate Brodeur's career, McFarlane has created a unique Super Chase figure which depicts him in his rookie year uniform. Only 552 will be produced in the self-dubbed "Christmas colours" and as an added bonus, each will be numbered in sequential order, for example: 1 of 552, 2 of 552 etc.
Series 23 (2010)
Collectors Level
-Gordie Howe's figure will be the first figure to debut the Hartford Whalers uniform in a McFarlane lineup. Gordie spent three seasons with the franchise, with two being part of the World Hockey Association's New England Whalers and one when the team was adopted into the NHL. Gordie replaced what would have been another Sam Gagner figure.
-As a late addition, 50 Collector Level Fleury's will be signed by the player and inserted into random cases.
-Chris Drury, Chris Osgood and Dany Heatley was scheduled to be in the lineup back was later pulled.
Series 24 (2010)
The regular Jonathan Toews figure is white, despite the picture with red jersey on the back. The regular Mike Cammalleri figure is red, despite the picture with white jersey on the back.
Collector's Level
Series 25 (2010)
-Sedin and Kessel will be available only through the Canadian assortment cases while Gaborik and Backstrom will be limited to American case assortments.
-Sedin and Kessel and headswap figures featured in the Leetch (NHL 9) and Ovechkin (NHL 13) poses respectively.'
Collectors Level
Series 26 (2010)
Collector's Level
Series 27 (2010)
Collector's Level
Series 28 (2011)
Grosnor Exclusive:
Collectors Level
Series 29 (2011)
Collector's Level
Series 30 (2012)
Collector's Level
Series 31 (2012)
Collector's Level
Series 32 (2012)
WalMart Exclusive:
- Those come with a hockey puck replica.
McFarlane Toys Online Store (US) or Grosnor (Canada) Exclusive:
Collectors Level
Series 33 (2013)
Collector's Level
NHL Legends Series 1 (2004)
-Wayne Gretzky (2) is sculpted in the celebratory pose when he broke Gordie Howe's all-time scoring record on Oct 15, 1989.
NHL Legends Series 2 (2005)
NHL Legends Series 3 (2006)
-Don Cherry is a one of a kind figure of the coach and host of Hockey Night in Canada. The figure features Cherry with his bull terrier, "Blue".
NHL Legends Series 4 (2006)
-The Bobby Orr figure is sculpted to commemorate Bobby's goal to help Boston win the Stanley Cup in 1970. The chase figure is of the exact same jersey but in sepia tone to make it look like it was taken out of the newspaper. -Gretzky's eighth figure depicts him when he helped the Oilers win their first championship title in 1984.
NHL Legends Series 5 (2007)
-The Bobby Orr figure replaces the previously announced Don Cherry (2) figure. The Orr figure will be in his first pose depicting him during his Blackhawks days.
-The majority of the series features repaints (Orr and Gretzky: NHL Legends 2 Kings pose) and a head swap with Hull using Jean Béliveau's pose. LaFleur's pose is a 100% new sculpt.
NHL Legends Series 6 (2007)
-Like the first legends Gretzky figure, McFarlane has made Gretzky in his pose where he broke Gordie Howes scoring record. In this series, Gretzky's pose is supposed to commemorate his last game in the NHL where he is seen holding his left glove in his right hand and waving to the crowd at Madison Square Garden but in fact the pose is actually based on his last game in Canada against the Ottawa Senators which was also his second last game in the NHL.
-From sample pictures shown on the McFarlane message board, it can be seen that the base of Gretzky's figure said "Wayne Gretzky, 1997 Farewell.". Most hockey fans would have known that Gretzky had retired on April 18, 1999.
-For the first time, Legends Series 6 will be one of the first series along with other McFarlane related lines, to include Todd McFarlane's autograph. 10 packaging inserts from each figure will be randomly inserted into cases. They were signed by Todd while on a visit to his offices in Asia "TMP Asia Ltd.".
NHL Legends Series 7 (2008)
The line was originally designed as a salute to captains from the "Original Six" teams, but in retrospect, that doesn't build a line with much Canadian impact (only two of the Original Six teams are Canadian). Because of this, Terry O'Reilly has been pushed back to 2009 to make room for an Oilers Messier and Flames Gilmour.
-Mark Messiers third pose has him holding the Stanley Cup in both his Edmonton and Rangers uniform. To be accurate with the times, the Oilers Messier will have a helmet sculpt while the Rangers will see him wearing a cap. The Messier figures celebrate his success with the 1990 Oilers and 1994 Rangers.
-The Maurice Richard Chase figure is not listed in the McFarlane checklist.
NHL Legends Series 8 (2009)
-Gordie Howe's was originally scheduled to be in the lineup in as a Hartford Whaler but was eventually moved into NHL 23 replacing Sam Gagner.
-Mario Lemieux's figure will have a super chase featuring him in the Penguins yellow uniforms. It will be limited to 100 pieces to mark his 100-point rookie season during the 1984-85 NHL season and will be sequentially numbered.
NHL Goalie Nets
With McFarlane switching to smaller packaging starting in NHL 16 and Legends 6, goalie bases were reduced in size and the nets were done away with. But McFarlane has made the nets available individually making both a "Modern" and "Classic" nets with matching crease designs available to collectors who still want to include the netting for their favorite figures.
NHL 3 Inch
McFarlane Toys released their 3 Inch NHL line in 2004. They were initially sold in packs of two but were then released individually.
NHL 3" Series 1
-Notable errors in this series are the unfixed socks on the Modano like its 6 Inch version and the skin tone on Koivu and Iginla were switched.
NHL 3" Series 2
NHL 3" Series 3
NHL 3" Series 4
NHL 3" Series 5
This series will feature the players (minus Brodeur) repainted in their new EDGE uniforms but the sculpts have not changed.
NHL 3" Series 6
These figures were never released or made.
12 Inch Series 1
This series was exclusive to Wal-Mart Canada but were eventually sold in the Spawn Store online.
-Since American collectors could not obtain the 12 inch figures, the Spawn Store decided to sell a few through their online website and upon arrival, collectors who ordered the Colorado Avalanche versions were surprised to receive theirs in the white jersey instead of the 3rd jersey. These Roy's are of the most valuable 12 inch figures that McFarlane has produced out off all the sports series he has made.
12 Inch Series 2
This series featured two Stanley Cup winning champions that were previously procuded in 6 Inch scale.
-Steve Yzerman received an updated head sculpt and has a "clean shaven" face to give it a more accurate look as to when he won the Cup.
12 Inch Legends Series
This series featured Wayne Gretzky in his second and a completely new third pose that was never released in the 6 Inch scale.
-Eventually Wayne Gretzky (3) had an exclusive version of him in the Blue Jersey that was only available at Wal-Mart. The first wave saw Gretzky produced with white numbers instead of orange which the Oilers wore back then. This error would be fixed and the rest came out correct. Another version saw one arm with orange numbers while the other arm's numbers were white
12 Inch Bobby Orr Exclusive
This 12 Inch Bobby Orr figure was released in 2007 and was available only to Wal-Mart retailers in Canada.
12 Inch Series 3
Team Canada Series (2005)
In 2005, a Team Canada series was released commemorating Canada's win in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey featuring Canadian international players past and present.
12 Inch Team Canada
-Brodeur's third figure has him in Dominik Hasek's second pose from Series 7.
-Messier, Gretzky and Fuhr are all in their 1987 Team Canada jerseys while the rest of the lineup are in their 2004 jerseys.
-Like the Legends 12 Inch Gretzky, the Team Canada version also had a Wal-Mart Canada exclusive with him being in the white 1987 jersey.
Team Canada 2010 Series 1 (2010)
Another Team Canada series was released in 2010 in conjunction with the Olympics being held in Vancouver, B.C.. The figures are exclusive to Wal-Mart Canada.
-Due to Canada's gold medal success at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, McFarlane decided to produce two more series to help commemorate the teams success.
Team Canada 2010 Series 2 (2010)
Team Canada 2010 Series 3 (2010)
This third series of Team Canada figures will mark the Sports Pick debut of forward Ryan Getzlaf and defencemen Shea Weber and Scott Niedermayer.
Unfortunately series 3 has been cancelled. Though, Iginla and Heatley made it to series 2.
2002
Team Canada boxsets were exclusive to Wal-Mart Canada while the 2 Packs were exclusive to Toys R Us Canada.
-During one of Todd visits to the factories in China, Todd took one of the unassembled left pads from the Brodeur figure and did some minor quality control touch ups. Once finished, Todd initialed the pad T.M. and showed it to the cameraman. After a quick talk with one of the translators telling the workers not to paint over his initials, he told viewers that if anyone was able to locate the figure, they would win a prize. To date, it is not known if the figure has surfaced.
-Originally the Maple Leafs 3 Pack featured Curtis Joseph, and the prototypes were already made. Eventually when Joseph signed with Detroit and the Leafs got Belfour, TMP delayed production and made the switch with the goalies.
2003
-Meijers a US retailer, got exclusive boxsets of the Leafs and Red Wings 3 packs in their away uniforms. There were cases of the Red Wings 3 packs where some of the gloves and pads of the players came out in a lighter hue of red.
2004
-The 3 Inch boxsets are exclusive to Loblaws in Canada, the major differences in the figures are the uniform colours. Only a few of the figures have jersey switches, they are Lemieux (White), Sundin (White), Brodeur (Red), Koivu (White), Modano (fixed green socks) and Thornton (Replaced Assistants 'A' with the Captains 'C'.
2005
Both boxsets were Canadian exclusives
-The special 2 pack commemorating the Heritage Classic outdoor game in 2003 featuring Jose Theodore and Oilers captain Jason Smith has Theodore's figure wearing a red, white and blue tuque over his goalie mask, just as he wore in the game.
2006
3 Packs are exclusive to Wal-mart Canada while the 2 Packs are exclusive to Loblaws.
-Alfredsson is featured in a new pose that was previously used for Jeremy Roenick.
2008
Second wave of 2 Packs which are exclusive to Loblaws. Again the 2 Packs had a Canadian influence to them are in their "Pre-EDGE" jerseys. The Howe and Bower 2 Pack are exclusive to Wal-Mart Canada. This is the first time Howe is made in the Wings red jersey.
-The first box sets featured some never before seen players, and recently traded players in their new uniforms. Never before seen players at that time were Koivu, Blake, Turco, Jason Smith and Sakic. Sakic's pose is not the same one as in Series 3, they used Mark Messiers pose from the NHLPA line. Recently traded players Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour got new uniforms because of these sets.
2009
2009 was a year of celebration for the Montreal Canadiens centennial year. With the Canadiens being the first team to reach this historic milestone, McFarlane introduced 5 NHL 2 Packs to celebrate the occasion. The sets will be exclusive to Wal-Mart Canada except for the Price and Roy set.
-Steve Shutt and Jacques Plante will make their Sports Picks debut in the series of 2 Packs.
Unfortunately, due to economic factors, the last three planned releases have all been cancelled. This was confirmed in an email from company rep. David Hughes sent to an inquiring collector.
Exclusives
Exclusives ranging from the Spawn Store to events and appearances or special orders. Most of these figures will be repaints or head swaps from existing sculpts
Store Exclusives
-McFarlane teamed up with NHL Hitz 2003 creators to have their cover athlete, Chris Pronger in the game uniform that he is pictured in on the cover of the game. The figure was exclusive to EB Games retail stores, Those pre-ordering the game, received the figure for free.
-McFarlane released a hockey rink display which is available as a Collectors Club Exclusive. The rink is to scale with the 6" figures and 1/3 of the actual rink is being made. The rink features boarding and acrylic glass. Also the goal crease, goalie restrictions as well as two face off circles. The rink also includes several advertisement stickers that may be applied to the boards if wanted. There is no specific production number just like the McFarlane NBA Backboard.
-The Linden is a repaint of his NHL 8 figure featuring him in the Canucks Home (Blue) jersey as worn during the 07-08 NHL Season which was his last.
-McFarlane and Profigures partnered to bring collectors a special limited version of Tim Thomas in the Bruins Away (White) jersey and also includes a full net and base. Todd has personally also signed some of the bases limited to a run of 100.
Grosnors Exclusives
-The first Grosnors line was made to give collectors a chance to own what could have been available in the Senators 3 pack, Jason Spezza. Luongo, who was supposed to be made in the home jersey was scheduled just like the Spezza and was made available though this line.
-The Grosnors series 2 line features many repainted figures from the old jersey style to the new RBK EDGE uniforms (as of 07-08). These include Luongo, Koivu and Iginla. This series is also the first to feature an NHL All Star uniform in Mats Sundin where he showcases the 2000 World All Stars uniform he wore in Toronto. The Alfredsson piece is just a simple reissue of the one that was released in the 2 Pack alongside Mats Sundin. Two new figures are Henrik Sedin 2 (featured in Sakic 3's pose) and Oiler forward Sam Gagner (featured in Ovechkin 2's pose).
-The Grosnors series 3 line features repaints of Price and Richard in their white Canadiens jersey while Luongo and Crosby will be a straight rerelease of their Series 21 figures. The Crosby was released with an updated Reebok logo on the pants and does not have the 2008 Winter Classic Logo. Ales Hemsky, Ethan Moreau and Daniel Sedin were scheduled to be part of the line but were later cancelled. The Moreau figure was never discussed however Hemsky would have been featured in the Oilers away jersey while Sedin would have been in the Canucks third jersey.
-The fourth Grosnors series will debut Lanny McDonalds first McFarlane figure as both a Calgary Flame and Toronto Maple Leaf. The series also includes Don Cherry in a Support Our Troops outfit.
Event Exclusives
-Starting in 2007 at the NHL All-Star Game in Dallas Texas. McFarlane Toys produced their first NHL exclusive for this type of event. They specifically produced Mike Modano in NHL 6's Steve Yzerman's pose to commemorate the Star's first Stanley Cup win in 1999. Only 3,000 were produced for the event.
-Though sculpted in the original "Pre-EDGE" jersey, the 2008 Hossa exclusive was given a repaint to showcase the Thrashers new EDGE away jersey. It also features the 08 All Star Patch.
-Since the 2009 All Star game is held in Montreal for the Canadiens Centennial year, Saku Koivu has a second figure after numerous prints of him in the NHL 1 John LeClair pose. Saku's figure, like most exclusives, is a simple head swap from the NHL 16 Sidney Crosby pose. Saku is featured in the Canadiens home jersey.
Stadium Exclusives
-McFarlane Toys started off their first SGA promotion with the Phoenix Coyotes by releasing a 3" Roenick in his new team colours which was released on Dec 21 2006.
Notable cancellations
-Before NHLPA 1 hit the market, pictures surfaced showing a Phoenix Coyotes Jersey Roenick figure in the Tony Amonte pose. It was unknown if he was part of the planned lineup but speculations are that because Roenick is a right-handed shot, and Amonte is left-handed, there had to be a change in player.
-Plans for a NHL 2 pack featuring 2 players fighting were proposed, but eventually the NHL cancelled the idea in favor to present a better image for the league.
-Before NHL 1, the lineup was supposed to have been NHLPA 3 where they would have a generic logo on their jerseys. Luckily McFarlane Toys managed to acquire the license to use authentic logos.
-Prototype figures of Brett Hull (NHL 2) in his Dallas Stars uniform and Pavel Bure (NHL 3) in his Florida Panthers uniform were made. Eventually the players were dealt to different teams and the company managed to have enough time to switch jerseys showcasing them in their new uniforms.
-Curtis Joseph was originally scheduled to appear in NHL 7 but was later replaced by Dominik Hasek.
-When NHL 8 was originally announced, TMP had plans on making Al MacInnis in his Flames uniform. Due to unknown issues, plans were scrapped and the figure was rejected from the line.
-A proposed 2 pack featuring Mario Lemieux and then rookie, Sidney Crosby was announced in 05-06. Months after the announcement, the plan was discarded due to Lemieux's second retirement from hockey.
-Originally the first Maple Leafs 3 Pack (Sundin, Mogilny, Belfour) featured Curtis Joseph, and the prototypes were already made. Eventually when Joseph went to Detroit and the Leafs got Belfour, TMP delayed production and made the switch with the goalies.
-Initially the following 3 packs were to be produced:
Due to some problems with the company and Wal-Mart, they were cancelled except for the Jason Spezza, and Navy jersey Luongo figures which made their appearance in the exclusive Grosnors line and 2008 Loblaws 2 Packs.
-Montreal Canadiens Centennial 2-Packs:
Per a company spokesman: We've run into a real economic slowdown up there in Canada, and at Walmart in particular. As a result, the remaining -packs are all likely to be cancelled — the Beliveau/Cournoyer has definitely been cancelled. Sorry the program didn't work out. -McFarlane Toys"
Awards
McFarlane gave fans the opportunity to vote from a select group of figures that were released that year to see which figures their consumers enjoyed the most in a variety of categories. Those would include:
In chronological order starting from 2003 where the McFarlane Action Figure Awards began, the following NHL figures were crowned winners in their category.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
-In the February 2000 issue of ToyFare magazine, McFarlane Toys was awarded Best Toy Company of the Year. The NHLPA Series 1 Paul Kariya figure claimed ToyFare's "Best Sculpting Award".
Flaws
McFarlane has produced some noticeable flaws throughout the years making sports picks. Ones that would stand out the most would be NHL 3’s Mike Modano’s incorrect sock pattern, NHL 5’s Marian Hossa mix up and the dreaded facial likeness of NHL 6’s Vincent Lecavalier. Though some figures that were made wrong in their prototype stage, some have been corrected like the NHL 7 Bertuzzi but some made it out of the factory before they were fixed.