Upper Deck Archives - Page 3 of 24

2021-22 Stature Hockey Box Break

Upper Deck’s Stature Hockey cards, first released during the 2019-20 season, features serial-numbered cards printed on thick, shiny foil stock. These accoutrements give Stature a sense of gravitas to them. The cards are shiny and thick, while most are numbered. Upper Deck released its 2021-22 Stature Hockey set in August of 2023; yes, that is a full year after the season it is based on had ended!

Regardless, if you liked Stature hockey cards from the past two seasons, then you will like the 2021-22 Stature set as well. A hobby box contains eight cards and costs around $145. That’s a bit cheaper than last year, when Stature was selling for around $180 for an eight-card box.

A box of 2021-22 Stature Hockey contains two base cards, one rookie card, one autographed card, one insert card, and two numbered parallel cards. The eight card in the box is either an additional rookie card, autographed card, or numbered parallel.

I finally got my hands on a hobby box of 2021-22 Stature Hockey. Here is what is inside.

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2023-24 MVP Hockey Cards

Episode #164: September 7, 2023

In this episode, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk all about the 2023-24 MVP Hockey card set, which is the first set for the new season. The guys take a look at the design, the inserts, the rookies – and the ridiculous amounts of cash money that the Connor Bedard redemption cards are selling for. Plus, they discuss the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, the NHL’s announced future participation in international tournaments, and the change in CEO at Leaf Trading Cards. It’s 76 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
2023-24 MVP Hockey Card Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Sal mentioned a goalie named David Altshuller – his name is actually Daniel Altshuller (oops!). Here’s the article about how Daniel Altshuller played zero games yet was pictured on over 80 hockey cards (Puck Junk)

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Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.

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2022-23 Upper Deck AHL Hockey Box Break

Upper Deck issued its 2022-23 American Hockey League trading card set in June of 2023. The set has 150 cards of AHL players – some prospects who will go onto long careers in the NHL, and others who played a handful of NHL games but went on to long careers in “The A.”

Fortunately for minor league hockey card enthusiasts, this set isn’t too hard to put together. There are 100 base cards and 50 short-printed Star Rookies – and you get one Star Rookie in each pack!

A box of 2022-23 Upper Deck AHL costs around $50 and has 12 packs. Each pack has 10 cards. Here’s a look at what’s inside a box of 2022-23 Upper Deck AHL.

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2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Box Break

First released during the 2017-18 season, Upper Deck Synergy hockey cards feature all the bells and whistles. Synergy cards are two layers thick. Like past years, the 2022-23 Synergy cards have a top layer that is printed on die-cut foil board, and a bottom layer is printed on clear plastic.

One thing that makes Synergy an odd release is that the base cards are very hard to find. You read that right; the base cards are tough pulls. Synergy base cards of veteran players are serial-numbered to 13 copies each, while Synergy rookie cards are numbered to 23 copies each. What you will normally get in a box is mainly Red Parallels, which some may mistake for the base cards.

That said, Synergy is not a cheap product. A box has eight packs, with each pack containing three cards, for a total of 24 cards. When 2022-23 Synergy launched at the end of June 2023, a box was $100; now the price has settled to $85.

I opened a hobby box of 2022-23 Synergy. Here is what was inside.

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2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Box Break

For the first time in three years, Upper Deck Ice is back. Ice was last released for the 2019-20 season, then was cancelled for 2020-21. The 2021-22 Ice set came out at the end of the 2022-23 season. So, it is the first Ice set in two seasons, but took three years to come out.

Anyway, now that Ice has been out for a while, the price of a box has gone down a bit, from $130 to $110. A hobby box has 12 packs, with each pack containing six cards. A box also includes a “Bonus” pack of 2020-21 Ice – so if you really want to build the cancelled Ice set, you could, though it would be tough.

One selling point of Ice is that all autographs in the set are “hard-signed,” meaning that the autographs are on the card itself and not on a sticker later applied to the card. A box of Ice also contains at least two Ice Premieres rookie cards, which are printed on acetate (clear plastic).

I opened a box of 2021-22 Ice, which was also the subject of the Puck Junk Podcast recently. But I thought it would be nice to show off what I got in my box. So, let’s take a look at what my 12 packs of 2021-22 Ice – plus the 2020-21 Ice bonus pack – had inside.

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Cards

Episode #162: August 24, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss the 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy hockey card set, including the design, the inserts…and why the parallels should really be the base set. It’s 71 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Connor McDavid Plays in Beer League Hockey Game (Toronto Star)
NHL Ref O’Rourke Biking from California to Chicago for Charity (NHL.com)
Tim’s Take: Is Fanatics a Monopoly? (Puck Junk)
Tim’s Take: Fanatics Strikes Back (Puck Junk)
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Some images from 2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Cards:

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Hockey Cards

Episode #161: August 18, 2023

Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Hockey Card set, which came out after the 2022-23 season, despite being a 2021-22 product – and it even has cards for 2020-21. There is a lot going on with ICE, and the guys critique the base set design, the parallels, and the inserts. Plus, they talk about some upcoming releases. It’s 57 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Some images from 2021-22 Upper Deck Ice Hockey:

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2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break

Like the final part of a three-act play, Upper Deck Extended Series rounds out the company’s most-exciting card set. Extended Series adds 200 more base cards and 30 new Young Guns to collect, as well as 20 “Round 1 Draft Picks” short prints, making Upper Deck’s flagship release the biggest set of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series costs about $95 per box and contains 24 eight-card packs. This is the last Upper Deck flagship set that will have this pack configuration, as the set will increase the card count – but decrease the number of packs – starting next year.

I opened a box of 2022-23 Extended Series. Here is what was inside.

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey Cards

Episode #160: August 12, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series, including the crop of Young Guns, the new “Round 1 Draft” short prints, and the myriad of inserts. The guys also discuss why Extended Series – as great as it is – is often overlooked by hockey collectors. It’s 59 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Tim references our interview with Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel (Episode #78) who is a huge hockey fan.
You should also give a listen to our interview with Paul Zickler of Upper Deck (Episode #149), who discusses in detail the changes to the pack configuration starting with 2023-24 Upper Deck Series One.
Finally, some images of 2022-23 Upper Deck Extended Series cards:

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

2022-23 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey Hobby Box Break

If you collect Upper Deck Series One, then collecting Upper Deck Series Two is a must. The 2022-23 Upper Deck Series Two set features 200 base cards and 50 Young Guns rookie cards. The Young Guns are short-prints that are seeded one in every four packs.

While I opened a box of Series Two a few months ago (to discuss in Episode #154 of the Puck Junk Podcast), I still wanted to post a full box break so you could see the sheer variety of inserts that you get in a box.

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