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
© 2026 The Upper Deck Company
NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © 2026 NHL. All Rights Reserved.
NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo are registered trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license. © NHLPA. All Rights Reserved.
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Categories: Upperdeck Tags: After, Cards, Debut, Deck, FirstEver, GameUsed, Introduces, Jersey, PIONEERING, rookie, Trading, Upper, years
UPPER DECK ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE, LONG-TERM TRADING CARD DEAL WITH USA HOCKEY
Carlsbad, CA (December 11, 2025) – Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment collectibles, today announced an exclusive, long-term trading card deal with USA Hockey, one of the most established and innovative organizations in sports. As the top manufacturer of hockey collectibles, Upper Deck will bring that expertise and experience to help connect fans with some of hockey’s best players as they represent their country.
This deal will introduce Upper Deck’s first-ever jersey patch sponsorship, with the company’s logo being displayed on the USA Hockey U18 men’s and women’s team jerseys in upcoming international competitions. This collaboration also marks the first time Upper Deck USA Hockey trading cards will be produced – celebrating top prospects, stars, and legends of the program.
“Upper Deck has been at the forefront of helping fans celebrate hockey’s most elite athletes for 35 years, whether that’s established superstars or the next generation of talent,” said Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck. “It’s a very special moment for players to represent their country on a national stage, and just as significant for fans rooting for their country as well, and this collaboration will let us capture iconic, emotional moments and reproduce them through trading cards.”
To mark the start of the agreement, Upper Deck is releasing its first-ever USA Hockey trading card set. Available now exclusively on the Upper Deck e-Pack® platform, the 2026 USA Hockey Showcase set features four USA Hockey stars and Upper Deck exclusive athletes: Cole Eiserman, James Hagens, Cole Hutson, and Taylor Heise. In addition to base cards which fall one per pack, collectors can also look out for several different parallels, including blue, USA Hockey Logo, USA Flag, and an autograph variation that will come as an additional bonus card in select packs. Achievement cards will also be available, including autographs.
An Upper Deck Authenticated USA Hockey memorabilia collection is also available for pre-order. The collection features four Upper Deck exclusive athletes. Fans can purchase signed items from Taylor Heise, Cole Eiserman, James Hagens, and Cole Hutson at UpperDeck.com now, and can stay tuned for future products from USA Hockey players.
“Upper Deck is synonymous with hockey, and their experience creating premium collectibles made them a natural fit for USA Hockey,” said Tony Driscoll, Assistant Executive Director of USA Hockey. “We’re excited to further highlight our players and provide fans a way to connect with them as they play on the global stage.”
Hockey fans and collectors can find the latest information on upcoming USA Hockey trading cards and memorabilia at 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 http://www.upperdeck.com or follow us on Facebook (/UpperDeck), Instagram (UpperDeckSports), X (formerly known as Twitter) (UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (UDvids).
Upper Deck Media Contact:
Nicole Curro, nicole@carvecomms.com
About USA Hockey
USA Hockey, established on October 29, 1937, and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, provides the foundation for the sport of ice hockey in America; helps young people become leaders, sometimes Olympic or Paralympic heroes; and connects the game at every level while promoting a lifelong love of the sport. USA Hockey is more than a million strong, including players, coaches, officials and volunteers that span all 50 states. The National Governing Body for the sport in the United States, USA Hockey has important partnerships with the NHL, PWHL, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation. For more information, visit usahockey.com.
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Categories: Upperdeck Tags: announces, Card, Deal, Deck, exclusive, Hockey, LongTerm, Trading, Upper
Beyond the Chaos: An Inside Look at the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Trading Cards
Questions answered by Rachel Askari
Why was the set made? Why is it relevant today?
This set was created to pay homage to the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands videogame. With the release of Gearbox’s Borderlands 4 this month, we hope fans will be excited for this set as it’s within the Borderlands world. These trading cards should build excitement for the upcoming release of Borderlands Legacy Collection trading card set.
How did you bring in the element of chaos to this set of cards?
All internal UD departments worked together to bring in fun elements of chaos that themes along with the game’s humor, quirkiness, & visuals. Our Type team (Izak Weintraub & Thomas Kitchell) took inspiration from the voice lines in-game and gave the card bios a fun twist of humor and playfulness. Graphic
designers (Krista Timberlake) created unique designs that complemented the chaotic foils picked by our Product Development team (Bubby Johanson & Ryan Carroll). As for me, for the characters we did not have assets for already, my main focus was taking screen captures of characters with dynamic poses and varying backgrounds. That plus the wide variety of characters added to the whole chaotic theme of this project.
How did you decide on what characters would be a part of the set?
The character list was based on main characters and character types in-game. I wanted to make sure all character types would be represented in the set – especially the Base Set. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the types of characters in this set: Main/Iconic Characters, Zombies, Skeletons, Shrooms, Goblins, Trolls, Crabs, Pirates, Seawargs, Coiled, Wyvern, Cyclops, & Main Bosses.
What was the inspiration behind the Character Sheets, Warsmith Rip Cards, and Bunker Masters inserts? Why were they chosen to be rare?
- – Character Sheets
- – Character sheets appear in cut scenes in the TTW videogame for important characters. It’s a fun idea to pull from the game and turn it into a physical card collectors can get their hands on. The way these cards are built are similar to shadow boxes, with multiple layers of designs on a clear PETG card to create one extra special card.
- – Warsmith Rip Cards
- – Throughout the game, there are weapon vending machines that allow players to purchase various weapons and different rarity levels. This is a huge part of the gameplay for TTW as it is considered a “loot and shoot” game. The Borderlands franchise is heavily focused on weapons and loot, which is the main driver for including weapon inserts in this set. The rip cards are especially unique as collectors can physically rip open a vending machine card to pull mini-card weapons.
- – Bunker Masters
- – The design for this insert is the most colorful and vibrant in the set. Pink and green designs with Raised Spot UV make these cards feel and look extra special. This 20-card set also only features main characters, adding to the value of these rare cards.
What was the inspiration for the Loot cards with scratch offs?
The Loot Cards are an extra special card we were able to create thanks to our contacts over at Gearbox/2K. They were able to give us a select amount of SHiFT codes which allow players to redeem a Skeleton Key in-game to get special Loot (weapons, shields, or grenades).
What’s your favorite card and why?
My favorite cards would have to be Tiny Tina in the Bunker Masters Set, or the rip cards. The Bunker Masters Set utilizes colorful designs and Raised Spot UV to give the cards a nice texture and clean finished look.
What sets the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands pack apart?
The designs are unlike any set we’ve done in the past. As mentioned earlier, the game is chaotic, colorful, and full of vibrant personalities. We played off of the game’s uniqueness which translates into the trading cards set.
Is there any cool technology that collectors should know about?
My personal favorite tech you can find in this set are: Raised Spot UV, rip cards with mini weapons inside, shadow box cards, and wood cards (e-pack only). Also, honorable mention to our MetalX cards which have extra shine to them, our manufactured memorabilia cards, and the scratch off loot cards!
Product depicted for demonstration purposes only and is subject to change without notice © 2025 The Upper Deck Company. © 2025 Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Gearbox, Gearbox Software, 2K, 2K Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
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