Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

2024-25 Upper Deck CHL Hockey Box Break

Spotlighting many future NHL draft picks, the 2024-25 Upper Deck CHL hockey card set features the best players from the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The set consists of 300 base cards and 100 short-printed cards. 

A box of 2024-25 Upper Deck CHL contains 12 packs and costs around $70. Each pack has 14 base cards, one short print “Star” or “Star Rookie” card, and one insert or parallel card. Each box contains either an autographed card or an Outburst parallel card.

I recently opened a box of 2024-25 Upper Deck CHL hockey cards. Let’s see what I got:

Continue reading “2024-25 Upper Deck CHL Hockey Box Break”

2024-25 SPx Hockey Box Break

Upper Deck changed its configuration for SPx with its 2024-25 SPx set. Once upon a time, a box of SPx had more than just a handful of cards. Back in 2015-16, a box of SPx hockey cards had 10 packs, each with four cards, for a total of 40 cards. The next season, SPx downsized the number of cards you got in a box significantly, lowering the quantity while raising the quality. Here’s how many cards SPx had over the past seven seasons: 

      • 2016-17 SPx – four cards per box
      • 2017-18 SPx – four cards per box
      • 2018-19 SPx – four cards per box
      • 2019-20 SPx – four cards per box
      • 2021-22 SPx – four cards per box
      • 2022-23 SPx – five cards per box
      • 2023-24 SPx – five cards per box

As you can see, you didn’t get a lot of cards for your money, but all of the cards were some sort of “hit” – be it an autograph, a jersey card, a low-numbered insert, or the like. 

This year, Upper Deck upped the number of cards in a box of SPx, including many more base cards in a box so you can actually build the base set. A box of 2024-25 SPx contains eight packs, each with three cards, for a total of 24 cards. Each pack has one base card plus two other cards – be it a rookie card, parallel, or insert. 

Let’s see what was inside my box of 2024-25 SPx Hockey: 

Continue reading “2024-25 SPx Hockey Box Break”

Rookie Cards of Every NHL 1st Overall Pick

Which Top Picks Were Booms – or Busts? 

The 2025 NHL Draft took place last weekend, and defenseman Matthew Schaefer was taken first overall by the New York Islanders. If Schaefer makes his NHL debut this fall, collectors will undoubtedly be looking for his Young Guns rookie card when it appears in 2025-26 Upper Deck Series Two. And depending on how good the young d-man plays, collectors may even buy his RCs found in other sets like O-Pee-Chee Platinum or SP Authentic. 

In fact, ever since 1990, hockey collectors have anticipated a first-overall pick’s rookie card, usually buying like crazy when their RCs first hit the market. Such was the case with Connor Bedard in 2023-24, Connor McDavid in 2015-16, Sidney Crosby in 2005-06, and numerous other first-overall picks.

I recently wrote a story for Sports Collectors Digest about every first-overall pick since 1963 – the year the NHL implemented a draft – and their rookie cards.

Do you know who the first-ever first-overall pick was?

How about the first goalie taken first overall?

The first American? 

The first European?

Which first-overall pick got a rookie card two years before his NHL debut?

Or did not get a rookie card until four years after his NHL debut? 

If you want to know the answer to these questions and more, you can read my article here at the Sports Collectors Digest website. 

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, listen to the Podcast, subscribe to the Newsletter and YouTube Channel, and support this site at the Online Shop. 

Follow Sal Barry on Bluesky @PuckJunk and on X/Twitter @PuckJunk. ■

Puck Junk Podcast: 2025 NHL Draft & Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Episode #220: July 3, 2025

In Episode #220, Sal and Tim discuss the 2025 NHL Draft, including some of the best players – and the best celebrity appearances – at the league’s “decentralized” draft. They also talk about the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and their hockey cards. It’s 82 minutes of hockey goodness – now with chapters, so you can skip to your favorite part.

Links
NHL DRAFT: Rookie Cards for No. 1 Picks (Sports Collectors Digest)
Women’s Hockey Cards on InstaGram

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.

Connect 
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel. 

Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

The 8th Annual Puck Junk Awards

Another NHL season has come to an end, some players won awards – and some players who should have won awards were overlooked. 

Hence, the foundation of the annual Puck Junk Awards in 2018. Now in its 8th year, the Puck Junk Awards honor the unsung heroes – such as the best scorer who can fight, the player who came out of nowhere and wowed everyone, and the least-likely goalie to tend the twine. 

So, without further delay, here are the Puck Junk Award Winners for 2025. 

Continue reading “The 8th Annual Puck Junk Awards”

Puck Junk Podcast: Fanatics Fest NYC 2025

Plus: Panthers Repeat as Champs
Episode #219: June 27, 2025

In this episode, the guys talk about the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup Champions – and why they can three-peat next year. Clemente gives his recap of the Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 sports convention. Plus, thoughts on some recent trades, and more. It’s 101 minutes of hockey goodness – now with chapters, so you can skip to your favorite part. 

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.

Connect 
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel. 

Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

Playmobil Stanley Cup Presentation Set

With the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow, now seems like a good time to look at the Stanley Cup Presentation set by Playmobil. Several years back, Playmobil released a whole line of hockey toys, including NHL player figures, a rink playset, a Zamboni, and even the Stanley Cup – along with two Keepers of the Cup. Let’s take a closer look at this fun little playset. 

Continue reading “Playmobil Stanley Cup Presentation Set”

Puck Junk Podcast: Interview with Paul Zickler of Upper Deck

Plus: UD’s New RPA Authentication
Episode #218: May 30, 2025

Sal Barry talks with Paul Zickler, the Director of Sports Brands at Upper Deck, about Upper Deck’s new Rookie Patch Auto Authentication. The feature will deter the practice of “patch swapping” on high-end rookie cards starting with the 2023-24 The Cup. Zickler also talks about the success of PWHL trading cards and plans for the next release, future Four Nations Face-Off cards, Alex Ovechkin autographs in 2024-25 Extended Series, and a look at 2025-26 Upper Deck Series One. It’s 37 minutes of hockey goodness – now with chapters so you can skip to your favorite parts. 

Links
Upper Deck Unveils New Feature to Combat Fraud (Sports Collectors Digest)
The Authority website (TheAuthority.com)
Can Ovechkin Save Extended Series? (Puck Junk)
2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break (Puck Junk)

Rookie cards in 2023-24 The Cup will come slabbed and feature a serial number to verify its authenticity at TheAuthority.com website.

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.

Connect 
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel. 

Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break

2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey comes out today. As the name implies, Extended Series extends Upper Deck’s flagship release by another 250 cards for a total of 750 cards between the three series. 

Since 2020-21, Extended Series has made a good thing better by making Upper Deck’s flagship release the largest set of the season. Extended Series usually brings along with it loads of fun, retro-themed insert cards, drawing inspiration from the late 1990s to mid-2000s. In the past, many of the inserts you found in Extended Series were seral numbered, too. 

A box of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series is selling for around $120 for a 12-pack box. Each pack consists of nine base cards and three insert cards for 12 cards total. There is even a very long shot at pulling an Alex Ovechkin Young Guns buyback autographed card. There’s only eight of those Ovie Autos floating around, so your chances of getting hit by lightning are probably better. And no, I don’t mean Victor Hedman…though he does have a card in this set. 

Today, I opened a box of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey. Let’s see what was inside. 

Continue reading “2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break”

The Puck Junk Podcast is 10 Years Old

Well, Sort Of…

Ten years ago this month, I launched the Puck Junk Podcast. On May 12, 2015, the first episode of the show – which didn’t have a name yet – was posted online. Tim Parish and I talked about three different card sets and two other topics in under 30 minutes, if you can believe that. Now, it takes us 30 minutes just to get through the small talk at the start of the show. 

This year is technically the 10th anniversary of the podcast. I say “technically” because we released 25 episodes from mid-2015 to mid-2017, then the show went away for two years. 

So, is it REALLY a 10-year anniversary? Continue reading “The Puck Junk Podcast is 10 Years Old”