Toronto (Ont.) – This week, as National Hockey League (NHL) teams® opened their training camps in preparation for another exciting season, Canada Post recognizes the iconic jerseys of the seven Canadian NHL teams and the passion of their fans in a series of commemorative stamps.

“Almost every Canadian has a memory that relates to hockey and those memories are part of who we are as a country,” says the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport and responsible for Canada Post. “These stamps commemorate the joy that Canadian fans experience when they wear their favourite team’s jerseys.”

“When hockey was first featured on a Canadian stamp in 1956, the focus was on the jersey and the word ‘Canada’ emblazoned across the chest,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post. “With the issue of these Canadian NHL team stamps, we turned once again to the love fans demonstrate by wearing their team’s colours not only at home games, but at all times. Team jerseys have become an incredible rallying point.”

Minister Raitt and Mr. Chopra were joined earlier today by former Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Darryl Sittler at the Milton Sports Centre, where they welcomed young players from the Milton Minor Hockey Association. The players were treated to a skate and received NHL-stamp Official First-Day Covers and postcards, which Mr. Sittler signed.

Including this year’s issue, Canada Post has produced more than 50 NHL-themed stamps since 1992. The first hockey-themed stamp, featuring three players wearing “Canada” jerseys, was issued on January 23, 1956.

The NHL Canadian seven-team stamp series is available from Canada Post retail outlets and online at canadapost.ca/shop. Here is a look at the 2013 edition of Canada Post’s NHL stamps:

Montreal Canadiens®: The commemorative stamp depicts a current jersey as well as one from 1946, which shows some minor differences in detail but still proudly bears the “CH” crest that generations of Canadiens fans have come to recognize.

Ottawa Senators®: On their stamp, the Senators’ player sports a current team jersey, while a spectator in the stands shows his enthusiasm for the Senators in a 1992 jersey, the first uniform worn by the current-era team.

Toronto Maple Leafs®: In the Maple Leafs’ commemorative stamp, the player on the ice wears the current jersey, and the fan sports a vintage look from 1967, Canada’s centennial year.

Winnipeg Jets™: With its fourth stamp since November 2011, this issue features the team’s current home and away jerseys inspired by its beloved name and the community’s special relationship with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Edmonton Oilers®: On this stamp, the player on the ice wears the Oilers’ current uniform and a fan in the stands wears a vintage jersey from 1979, the year the team joined the NHL.

Calgary Flames®: In this commemorative stamp, the Flames player shows off the club’s current uniform, while a fan proudly models his team’s first jersey, which dates back to 1980.

Vancouver Canucks®: The jerseys depicted on the commemorative stamp include the current one, seen sported by the player on the ice, and the 1997 version, worn by a cheering fan.

Canada Post and the NHL have a shared tradition in featured stamps with the first issue in October 1992. Those stamps highlighted three NHL eras: The Early Years (1917-1942), the Six-Team Years (1942-1967) and the Expansion Years (1967-1992). Canada Post featured the Stanley Cup® for the first time on a stamp in April 1993, commemorating its 100th anniversary. The next two-stamp set, issued in September 1997, paid tribute to The Series of the Century between Canada and the USSR, featuring NHL players. To commemorate the 50th NHL® All-Star Game in 2000, six stamps honoured six great players of those games. Canada Post and the NHL teamed up with five more All-Stars themed sets of six stamps, one each year from 2001 to 2005. In celebration of the Montreal Canadiens’ 100th anniversary, a four-stamp series was issued in October 2009. The most recent NHL issue was in November 2011, featuring three Picture Postage™ stamps celebrating the return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL.

About the NHL Team Jerseys Stamps

The stamps measure 40 mm x 32 mm with simulated perforations. The domestic stamps are denominated at the 63-cent rate and are printed by Lowe-Martin on Tullis Russell paper using five-colour lithography (Calgary), six-colour lithography (Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver) and seven-colour lithography (Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton). The stamps are pressure sensitive and the Official First Day Covers will be cancelled in: Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The stamps are available in booklets of 10.

About the NHL Team Logos Stamps

The stamps measure 24 mm x 20 mm with simulated perforations. The domestic stamps are denominated at the 63-cent rate and are printed by Lowe-Martin on Tullis Russell paper using four-colour lithography (Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary) and five-colour lithography (Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver). The stamps are pressure sensitive and the Official First Day Covers will be cancelled in Toronto, Ontario. The stamps are available in coils of 50.

To purchase philatelic products, please visit canadapost.ca/shop.