The 2021-22 Credentials Hockey set by Upper Deck was released in August 2023, just a few months shy of the 2023-24 hockey season. That makes Credentials a bit of an “old” product, with rookie cards from almost two seasons ago. More so, Credentials also contains cards from the cancelled 2020-21 Credentials cards, as well as rookie update cards from 2019-20 Credentials – meaning, you can get rookie cards from three different seasons in one box!

A box of 2021-22 Credentials hockey has eight packs. Each pack has six cards for a total of 48 cards. When 2021-22 Credentials was released, it cost about $150 per box. Now, it’s around $110 per box. A hobby box contains either an autographed card OR a non-autographed acetate card.

I recently opened a box of 2021-22 Credentials. Here’s what I got in my box. 

32 Base Cards

The 2021-22 Credentials Hockey set has 50 base cards. I got 32 base cards in my box and none were doubles of each other. Base cards feature an appealing design that kind of reminds me of SP Authentic, in that it has a “cut out” picture of a player. Here, he is in front of a ghosted team logo. Lots of silver foil adorns the bottom third of the card. Overall, I really like this design and will probably build this base set. 

Card backs reprise the same photograph – though not cut out – and list five years of statistics, plus career totals. 

1 Debut Ticket Access Rookie Card

Debut Ticket Access is what Credentials calls its rookie cards. Cards 51 to 150 are rookie cards, which are serial-numbered as follows: 

• • • • • Cards 51 to 110 are serial numbered out of 999
        • Cards 111 to 135 are serial-numbered out of 799
        • Cards 136 to 145 are serial-numbered out of 599
        • Cards 146 to 150 are serial-numbered out of 299

Naturally, the last five cards are of the most popular rookies from the 2021-22 season: Spencer Knight, Trevor Zegras, Moritz Seider, Cole Caufield, and Lucas Raymond. Unfortunately, I did not get one of the “top five” rookie cards, though I did get a Mason McTavish rookie card numbered 267/599. 

4 Rookie Arrivals Inserts 

Rookie Arrivals is an insert set featuring the top 50 rookies from 2021-22. You get one Rookie Arrivals card in every other pack. 

2 Star of the Night Inserts

Star of the Night inserts picture some of the best current NHL players. There are ten each of First, Second, and Third Star of the Night cards. The two I got were Jack Roslovic and Matthew Tkachuk. 

2 Star of the Night Rookie Inserts 

There are also Star of the Night Rookie insert cards which also have teach each of First, Second, and Third Star cards. Dawson Mercer and Quinton Byfield were the two Star of the Night Rookie cards in my box. 

2 Speed of the Game Inserts

Speed of the Game insets look too much like those High Speed inserts from 2020-21 MVP. (Both are shiny, horizontal inserts.) The two Speed of the Game inserts in my box of Credentials were Mason McTavish and Benoit-Olivier Groulx. 

1 Red Base Parallel /199

There are TWELVE different parallel versions of the base and rookie cards. My box had a Red Parallel version of Matthew Tkachuk, serial numbered 036/199. 

3 2020-21 Debut Ticket Access Parallels

The 2021-22 Credentials Hockey set also has inserts of 2020-21 Credentials cards. My box had three Debut Ticket Access cards from ’20-21. 

Victor Soderstrom 246/799

Callum Booth 219/249

Nikola Knyzhov 100/149

And finally, the HIT…

1 Autograph

Wow! A Cody Glass 2019-20 Debut Ticket Access Autographs Gold, numbered 1-of-1. I think this is the first time I ever pulled a 1-of-1 card. Plus, I’ve been a fan of Glass since he played for the Chicago Wolves at the end of the 2018-19 season, as well as the 2019 AHL Playoffs. The autograph is on-card in blue Sharpie marker. Needless to say, I’m excited to have this card. 

While I did pull a GREAT autographed rookie card, it is hard to get TOO excited 2021-22 Credentials because you are NOT guaranteed one autograph per box. A hobby box MIGHT have an autograph, or it might have a non-autographed acetate card. And if I am spending north of $100 for an eight-pack box, I pretty much expect to get an autograph.

Furthermore, Cole Caufield, as well as several other prominent rookies, do not have autographed cards in this set, though Upper Deck is giving collectors a chance to get an autographed Caufield rookie card via a redemption/bounty program.

Credentials base cards have a nice design and putting together a base set will not be difficult. The rookie checklist, at 100 cards, is quite expansive. Plus, Credentials gives you a chance to get rookie cards of rookies from the prior two years as well. So, you may end up with four or five rookie cards and an autographed card.

For more about the 2021-22 Credentials Hockey set, check out the last episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, which you can listen to here.

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