Launch of MVP Signals Start of New Collecting Year
Happy New Collecting Year!
Today, Upper Deck released its 2024-25 MVP Hockey card set. In recent history, MVP is always the first hockey set released for the season – meaning that the 2024-25 hockey collecting season has officially begun.
Like previous years’ MVP sets, the 2024-25 MVP Hockey set consists of 200 base cards and 50 short prints. The 50 short prints are either of rookies who made their debuts late during the previous season – a.k.a. “Leftover Rookies,” as I like to call them – or of star NHL players.
Of course, there are parallels and inserts galore, as well as the chance of pulling a redemption card that can be exchanged for a “Number One Draft Pick” card of Sharks’ rookie Macklin Celebrini.
With the start of hockey season still over six weeks away, it does seem a bit premature to release cards for the new season. I mean, some of us are still trying to complete several sets from the 2023-24 season.
Personally, I’ve become less and less of a fan of MVP over the years. The crop of rookie cards found in the set is usually underwhelming, the designs are not really unique or endearing, and the backs of the base cards don’t even have any stats!
The lack of stats can be attributed to the fact that Upper Deck starts producing it’s MVP set before the end of previous season. (The short-printed cards, which are printed later, do have stats, though.) With so many different sets being made today, it makes sense that they would have to start production on some of the sets earlier – especially with a late August release date.
Another factor that has dulled my enthusiasm for MVP over the years is that Upper Deck usually releases a boxed set – which includes the short prints – around the holidays. Granted, the MVP cards from the boxed sets have different borders, so they aren’t the same as the MVP cards found in packs.
Sometimes, I wonder if MVP would work better as being just a boxed set. Or, if it should be two series, or have a final update, which would make it feel a little more complete.
Every year, I say that I’m not going to buy MVP, and yet, every year, I fall for the hype and still end up putting a set together. And when MVP hits e-Pack later in the season, buying the short prints I need is easy and inexpensive.
Are you planning on buying MVP this year? Leave a reply, or hit me up on social media, and let me know what you think.
Note: This article is an updated version of an editorial that originally appeared in Volume 2 – Issue 35 of the Puck Junk Newsletter. For stories like these, plus news and updates about hockey cards and collectibles, subscribe to the newsletter here.
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I have always said that UD should release a series 2 to MVP which would include the bigger named rookies instead of making people find the hard to find redemption cards. They keep cutting down the budget friendly entry level sets while pushing more and more expensive products.
I agree. Overall, MVP has felt incomplete over the past decade or so. No big-name rookies, no traded players, and no stats on the back of most of the cards 🙁
Thanks for reading!