Posts Tagged ‘rookie’

UPPER DECK INTRODUCES NHL ROOKIE DEBUT JERSEY CARDS 30 YEARS AFTER PIONEERING FIRST-EVER GAME-USED JERSEY TRADING CARDS

Carlsbad, CA (Jan. 8, 2026) – Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment collectibles, is raising the bar and lowering the barrier to entry for one of the most popular collectibles in the hobby. Game used jersey and patch cards have long been highly sought after by collectors – and Upper Deck is continuing to pioneer the integration of jersey swatches and trading cards with the introduction of The Upper Deck Debut Game Jersey Program. In collaboration with the NHL and NHLPA, Upper Deck is collecting full jerseys worn by top rookies in their debut NHL games and creating swatches to be featured in a variety of trading cards. Three different designs will pay homage to the groundbreaking 1996-97 “UD Game Jersey” inserts that introduced the first-ever game-used jersey trading cards to the hobby. The cards will be part of Upper Deck’s 2025-26 Extended Series checklist. Thirty years after changing the landscape of collecting, Upper Deck is once again providing a superior product from sports top athletes in an accessible way, because hockey is for everyone.

“We’re always working to create fresh, exciting, and premium collecting experiences. The introduction of our Debut Game Jersey Program will allow collectors to connect even further with their favorite players and teams – all in an incredibly approachable and accessible way,” said Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck. “With an exceptional NHL rookie class coming in this season, not only will we capture theirs and future classes’ debut moments on the ice for fans and collectors to hold onto for years to come, but we will take their entire debut jerseys and insert them across several distinct trading card designs.”

Upper Deck has collected game-worn jerseys from the debuts of some of the NHL’s best prospects, including exclusive athletes Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa, as well as stand-outs Beckett Sennecke, Brady Martin, Isaac Howard, and Easton Cowan, among others. The cards will be included as part of 2025-26 Upper Deck Extended Series, scheduled to release this summer. Each Upper Deck Debut Game Jersey trading card will feature a photo-matched image of the player from their first professional game on the ice, as well as a piece of the jersey they wore during that game. Upper Deck will offer a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) for each of these cards, matching the exact date of the debut game. Additionally, three card variations will be available to collect, including Debut Game Jersey Autographs (serial #’d to their jersey number) and special Debut Game Jersey Auto Black Variations (serial #’d 1-of-1) containing unique patch or fight strap tags from the debut jersey.

Long-time Upper Deck collectors and hockey fans will recognize the design of these trading cards, as the company pays homage to its first-ever “UD Game Jersey” trading cards. The first cards to feature game worn jerseys debuted in Upper Deck’s 1996 Hockey and Football sets, and later in 1997 Basketball and Baseball. UD Game Jersey cards quickly became the most chased at the time and are now iconic in the hobby.

Fans and collectors can keep an eye out for the 2025-26 Upper Deck Hockey Extended Series, which will be released this summer at Certified Diamond dealers worldwide as well as mass retailers. For more information, please visit UpperDeck.com.

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About Upper Deck

Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia, collectibles, games, and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity, and innovation, and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorite athletes and characters with unique and authentic sports and entertainment product offerings, as well as its digital trading ecosystem. The company prides itself on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for sports and entertainment’s most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop memorable moments for collectors of all kinds.

Find more information at www.upperdeck.com or follow us on Facebook (/UpperDeck), Instagram (UpperDeckSports), X (formerly known as Twitter) (UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (UDvids).   

Media Contact:

Nicole Curro, nicole@carvecomms.com

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The post UPPER DECK INTRODUCES NHL ROOKIE DEBUT JERSEY CARDS 30 YEARS AFTER PIONEERING FIRST-EVER GAME-USED JERSEY TRADING CARDS appeared first on Upper Deck.

Grading Chip Adds Another Layer of Authentication for Rookie Auto Patch Cards in 2024-25 The Cup

Upper Deck has been at the forefront of innovation for years when it comes to authenticity. One of the most recent examples is the introduction of an industry-first trading card authentication for highly coveted Rookie Auto Patch cards. First unveiled in 2025 as part of the release of Upper Deck’s 2023-24 The Cup hockey trading card set, the feature allows collectors to verify their Rookie Auto Patch cards are authentic, uncirculated, and have not been tampered with via patch swapping. Each card is slabbed, photographed, and serial numbered with a QR code, which displays a gallery of images from multiple angles that depict the card as it was originally issued by Upper Deck.

Now, another advancement in technology is accompanying Upper Deck’s 2024-25 The Cup Hockey. Dynamics Inc. (creators of The Authority) today announced the launch of the Grading Chip, the world’s first and only grading label that can be permanently and ultrasonically sealed into an encapsulated collectible case or “slab.” For the first time, an encapsulated trading card can be purchased and then graded without requiring the case to be broken and the card re-encapsulated.

Each tin of 2024-25 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey includes one Rookie Auto Patch trading card encapsulated in an Authority slab with an uncirculated designation, as the trading cards were slabbed as a part of the manufacturing process prior to being available for the public to purchase.

To celebrate the introduction of ‘Grading Chip, collectors who submit any slabbed uncirculated Rookie Auto Patch from 2023-24 or 2024-25 Upper Deck The Cup to The Authority can have their card graded with Grading Chip at no cost. The Authority does not charge for submission or vaulting of Authority Slabs, so a collector can submit, vault, and grade Authority uncirculated slabbed The Cup cards at no charge. This offer is not perpetual and will expire on December 31, 2026.

Visit TheAuthority.com to learn more about the Grading Chip.

The post Grading Chip Adds Another Layer of Authentication for Rookie Auto Patch Cards in 2024-25 The Cup appeared first on Upper Deck.

Rookie Autograph Bonus Card Programs

Upper Deck is offering hobby collectors the following two bonus card programs beginning on August 15, 2023, through August 14, 2024 (“Bonus Card Period”) to receive a Cole Caufield autograph rookie card (collectively the “Bonus Cards”):

2021-22 Credentials (“Credentials Bonus Card”)
2021-22 Stature (“Stature Bonus Card”)

Collectors who redeem select cards, as noted below, from one or both [...]