The 1992-93 Seasons Action Player Patches issue is one of the more unusual NHL hockey collectibles produced during the hobby boom of the early 1990s. While trading cards dominated the marketplace, Seasons took a different approach by creating a licensed patch set that combined colorful action photography with embroidered fabric construction.
More than three decades later, the issue remains largely overlooked by collectors, but this oddball hockey memorabilia comes with a unique story, stemming from the mysterious Grant Mulvey prototype patch that appears within the checklist.The Seasons Company & Grant Mulvey
The Seasons Action Player Patch line was developed by Seasons, a sports collectibles company led by former NHL player Grant Mulvey.
Mulvey enjoyed a successful professional career after being selected 16th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. Best known for his years in Chicago, he played 586 NHL games between 1975 and 1984, scoring 149 goals and recording 329 points. His finest offensive season came in 1979-80, when he scored 39 goals and added 26 assists for 65 points. After his playing career, Mulvey transitioned into the sports licensing and memorabilia business and became president of Seasons.
Design & Appearance
The 1992-93 issue consists of 70 publicly available player patches.
Each patch measures approximately 3 1/8 inches by 4 1/4 inches and was officially licensed by both the NHL and NHL Players' Association.
The design is distinctive and instantly recognizable. A full-color action photograph of the player is printed on a black fabric background. The player's team name appears above the image, while the player's name, position, and jersey number are printed below. An embroidered border in the player's team colors surrounds the photo, creating an attractive combination of photography and stitched fabric.
Unlike traditional trading cards, the patches were designed as textile collectibles and could be displayed, collected, or applied to clothing and equipment.
Packaging & Retail Presentation
One of the most unique aspects of the Seasons issue was its packaging.
Each patch was individually sealed in a poly-wrap sleeve attached to a teal cardboard display card. The back of the display card included a checklist of the entire series.
Two packaging variations are known:
Rather than being merchandised in wax packs or foil packs like traditional trading cards, the patches were displayed on customized team-specific counter display easels. Each display showcased four different players from a particular NHL team, with six copies of each patch.
As a result, each team display contained four different players with six copies of each player (24 patches total). These displays were designed to hang from retail pegs and provided an eye-catching presentation that emphasized team identity.
The Checklist
The checklist printed on the back of the display card contains 71 numbered entries.
The set features many of the NHL's biggest stars from the early 1990s, including Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, Lindros and Roy.
However, despite the checklist numbering extending to 71, collectors generally regard the issue as containing only 70 publicly available patches.
The reason lies with checklist number 22.
The Grant Mulvey Prototype
Patch #22 is an intriguing oddity.
Unlike the other entries in the checklist, #22 is not a commercially issued player patch. Instead, it is an unnamed prototype featuring Seasons President Grant Mulvey himself.
According to hobby research, the Mulvey patch was distributed personally by Mulvey as a promotional handout and was never available through normal retail channels. Collectors could not purchase the patch in stores, nor was it included in the standard retail displays.
Because of its unique status, most collectors do not consider the Mulvey patch part of a complete set. Instead, it is typically classified as a prototype or promotional issue associated with the release.
The Mulvey patch is therefore one of the most desirable and difficult pieces to acquire from the set.
Because many patches were removed from their original display cards over the years, examples that remain sealed in their original packaging are often preferred by collectors.
Mulvey enjoyed a successful professional career after being selected 16th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. Best known for his years in Chicago, he played 586 NHL games between 1975 and 1984, scoring 149 goals and recording 329 points. His finest offensive season came in 1979-80, when he scored 39 goals and added 26 assists for 65 points. After his playing career, Mulvey transitioned into the sports licensing and memorabilia business and became president of Seasons.
Design & Appearance
The 1992-93 issue consists of 70 publicly available player patches.
Each patch measures approximately 3 1/8 inches by 4 1/4 inches and was officially licensed by both the NHL and NHL Players' Association.
The design is distinctive and instantly recognizable. A full-color action photograph of the player is printed on a black fabric background. The player's team name appears above the image, while the player's name, position, and jersey number are printed below. An embroidered border in the player's team colors surrounds the photo, creating an attractive combination of photography and stitched fabric.
Unlike traditional trading cards, the patches were designed as textile collectibles and could be displayed, collected, or applied to clothing and equipment.
Packaging & Retail Presentation
One of the most unique aspects of the Seasons issue was its packaging.
Each patch was individually sealed in a poly-wrap sleeve attached to a teal cardboard display card. The back of the display card included a checklist of the entire series.
Two packaging variations are known:
- English-only packaging.
- Bilingual English/French packaging.
Rather than being merchandised in wax packs or foil packs like traditional trading cards, the patches were displayed on customized team-specific counter display easels. Each display showcased four different players from a particular NHL team, with six copies of each patch.
As a result, each team display contained four different players with six copies of each player (24 patches total). These displays were designed to hang from retail pegs and provided an eye-catching presentation that emphasized team identity.
The Checklist
The checklist printed on the back of the display card contains 71 numbered entries.
The set features many of the NHL's biggest stars from the early 1990s, including Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, Lindros and Roy.
However, despite the checklist numbering extending to 71, collectors generally regard the issue as containing only 70 publicly available patches.
The reason lies with checklist number 22.
The Grant Mulvey Prototype
Patch #22 is an intriguing oddity.
Unlike the other entries in the checklist, #22 is not a commercially issued player patch. Instead, it is an unnamed prototype featuring Seasons President Grant Mulvey himself.
According to hobby research, the Mulvey patch was distributed personally by Mulvey as a promotional handout and was never available through normal retail channels. Collectors could not purchase the patch in stores, nor was it included in the standard retail displays.
Because of its unique status, most collectors do not consider the Mulvey patch part of a complete set. Instead, it is typically classified as a prototype or promotional issue associated with the release.
The Mulvey patch is therefore one of the most desirable and difficult pieces to acquire from the set.
Because many patches were removed from their original display cards over the years, examples that remain sealed in their original packaging are often preferred by collectors.
Although Seasons never achieved the market prominence of major card manufacturers such as Upper Deck, Pro Set, or Score, the company's Action Player Patch series remains one of the most creative NHL-licensed products of its era. It issued a final set in 1993-94 with only 20 patches.
The combination of oversized fabric construction, full-color photography, embroidered team-color borders, and team-specific retail displays created a collectible unlike anything else available at the time.
Today, the 1992-93 issue serves as both a fascinating hockey collectible and a snapshot of a period when manufacturers were exploring new ways to engage fans beyond traditional trading cards.
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