This past week has been a busy time for NHL teams and the league itself. The longest season in NHL history wrapped up on Monday, June 24 with the Florida Panthers taking home the Stanley Cup in Game 7 versus the Edmonton Oilers. Three days later the league had its annual awards night at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas, followed by the Upper Deck NHL Draft at the Sphere in Vegas starting on June 28.
The NHL packed in a lot during the final week of June, but the highlight for collectors and hobbyists was the Upper Deck Draft held in the breathtaking surroundings of the Vegas Sphere. This year’s draft not only marked the third consecutive year that Upper Deck was the title sponsor, but it also marked an important anniversary as Upper Deck and hockey fans celebrated the 30th year of the debut of the renowned Young Guns trading cards.
To honor this milestone, Upper Deck collaborated with the Sphere Studios team to create a custom activation that was on the exterior of Sphere (the Exosphere) to showcase popular rookie cards featuring some of the NHL’s top players and announcing limited-edition Connor Bedard Young Guns achievement cards available exclusively in Series 2 products on Upper Deck e-Pack.
Valued Rookie Cards Unveiled Through Upper Deck’s Young Guns Series
Over the past three decades, Upper Deck has produced 30 collections of Young Guns cards, starting with the Flagship series in the 1990-91 season, cementing its position as one of the most prominent rookie card brands in all sports. Rookie cards are highly sought after by collectors, marking a player’s first appearance in a trading card wearing their team jersey at the highest level of competition in their sport.
Over the past 30 years, starting with Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov in 1990-91 to Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin in 2005-06 to Connor McDavid in 2015-16 and up to Connor Bedard this year, Upper Deck’s Young Guns Rookie Cards have set the standard for collectors. These are rookie cards that you just don’t want to miss out on.
“There is no better moment to celebrate 30 years of our iconic Young Guns trading cards than during the NHL Draft; a night dedicated to honoring rookies,” said Jason Masherah, president of Upper Deck. “The NHL Draft isn’t just significant for hockey fans, it’s a pivotal time for collectors as it ignites anticipation for the community, determining which players will emerge as top contributors to their teams and the League.”
Hockey fans and collectors can visit Upper Deck e-Pack® to join the celebration of 30 years of Young Guns and collect e-Pack exclusive Connor Bedard’s Series 2 achievement cards in 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 2, available now at UpperDeckePack.com.
Upper Deck Young Guns Cards A Great Idea from the Beginning
When Upper Deck launched their original Young Guns cards in 1990-91, it was something collectors and hobbyists had never really seen before. Before the launch of Upper Deck hockey and various other sets, the only hockey card set to collect was O’Pee Chee which was the standard from the 1968-69 NHL season until the introduction of Upper Deck Hockey in 1990-91. Before O’Pee Chee there was Topps and Parkhurst but that goes way back to the early to mid 1950’s. Upper Deck took collecting to a new level upon their debut in 1990-91, especially with the introduction of the Young Guns series which only continued to grow in popularity from its original inception in the early 90’s.
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The greatest names in hockey over the past 30 years have all had their Upper Deck Young Guns card, and if you look at the resale value on these cards, it’s definitely been a wise investment for collectors. This year’s Connor Bedard Young Gun Rookie Card will definitely continue to increase in value, especially after he was awarded the Calder Trophy and named NHL Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 season. The best advice for new collectors and savvy veterans is to try and get your Bedard Young Guns Rookie as soon as you can, because if he follows a similar path of success as players such as McDavid or Auston Matthews, his card will be worth a lot in a few short years. Congratulations to Upper Deck on their 30th Anniversary of the Young Guns Card. It’s changed the industry and continues to set new standards for collectors around the world.
