Failed stunt: Woman arrested for selling fake Alexis Lafrenière cards

Alexis Lafrenière cards are a big deal in Quebec.

Buying, selling and collecting hockey cards is a hobby for many — but on Friday, it turned into a stunt for one Quebec City woman.

Counterfeit cards featuring current New York Rangers rookie Alexis Lafrenière began to circulate online prior to the start of the new year. The asking price — $100.

The cards pictured Lafrenière playing Pee-Wee AA hockey when he was 11 years of age.

Quebec City police acted on Friday, arresting a 54-year-old woman linked to the case that became public in December when the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament issued a warning about fake cards circulating online.

It was also in December when the police department insisted that hockey cards from that tournament in particular were never created.

“Fraudsters are asking for over $100,” said the Quebec City police in a news release. “No Alexis Lafrenière hockey card had been produced by the Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee de Québec when it participated in 2013.”

Lafrenière’s celebrity status in Quebec

Selling counterfeit hockey cards may be unusual and newsworthy on its own, but that’s not what makes this such a fascinating story.

It’s about Lafrenière being the target of a stunt, and the suspect attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft.

Lafrenière, a native of Saint-Eustache, became the first French-Canadian to be selected first-overall in October since Marc-Andre Fleury in 2003. His star-status in the province didn’t happen overnight however — the exceptional talent he demonstrated throughout his time as a junior hockey player was evident and leading Canada to a gold medal at the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championship only helped. He was the undisputed No. 1 pick in the most recent draft.

The first counterfeit cards were available for purchase even before Lafrenière took to ice for the his first NHL shift.

The sports card business is massive. In fact, the entire landscape of buying and selling cards draw direct parallels to playing the stock market. For hockey cards of a young Lafrenière to circulate means that the seller is hoping for a illustrious career from the Rangers’ rookie. Keep in mind, those counterfeit cards were available on eBay for $100 now, but in a few years time, there’s no telling how high the price could have reached.

The Quebec City police say that the charges will be determined by the prosecutors in the case.