Pull out your well-loved hockey sweaters, because there’s a distinct chill in the collectibles air this season. Upper Deck is celebrating 25 years of SP Game Used Hockey in grand style, fans are in for a ride as thrilling as a shootout with a title on the line. Despite its short-lived ventures into other sports realms like baseball, football, and basketball—where it fizzled quicker than a rookie on notoriously treacherous ice—the set has a solid hold on the affections of hockey card fanatics, securing its legacy in this specialized corner of the collectibles market.
Marking this quarter-century milestone, Upper Deck isn’t merely skating on past glories. This year, the puck drops on a breathtaking chase featuring relics sourced from the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off—an epic showdown of international titans USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden—embroiling emotions of enthusiasts everywhere. Because nothing screams excitement quite like the jarring clash of nations eager to reign supreme!
Hobbyists will find themselves drawn to boxes like a saucer pass to a waiting winger. Within these September treasures, each hobby box renders a single nine-card pack composed of:
– 4 hits, which could mean autographs, memorabilia, autographed memorabilia, or inserts that pack a premium punch.
– 3 base cards, robust Authentic Rookies, or New Grooves inserts.
– 2 enticing parallels of base cards, Authentic Rookies, or those New Grooves that collectors chased last year.
The base set, a stately 200 cards deep, offers a kaleidoscopic glimpse into the sport with current NHL luminaries, legendary retirees, and Authentic Rookies poised to light the ice—and your wallet—ablaze. Parallel aficionados can chase down an array of cards: from the mesmerically shiny, yet unnumbered, Reds to majestic Greens, which are the merest of rarities at 1 of 1 to find.
And then there are the memorably sourced autographed and relic parallels, designed to plump every binder as they drain every dollar in one audacious swoop.
In the realm of memorabilia, SP Game Used holds nothing back. As suggested by the name, relics take center stage, each gleefully gathered from NHL regular season clashes, the adrenaline-fueled Stanley Cup playoffs, the NHL’s Global Series, Stadium Series, and Winter Classic, topped off by fresh relics from the legendary 4 Nations Face-Off.
Among the relic sets, some formidable contenders demand attention:
– Rookie Sweaters, with a neat numbering of /299.
– The decked-out Troupe Threads, shining at /199.
– Game Day Gear, limited to /100 examples showing well-worn glory.
– Rookie Jumbo Patches, a sight to see at shorter /25.
– Supreme Materials, numbering an exclusive /15, and the particularly grandiose Supreme Patches sharing the same exclusivity—this year’s lineup adorned with 4 Nations flair.
Fan-favorite relics make a palatable return, showcasing pieces like Puck Relics and Net Cord cards, which capture slice-of-life elements from epic debuts and unforgettable games. Draft Day Marks, an ever-popular pursuit, return with manufactured letter patches sealed with rookie signatures. Imagine the bragging rights won by those who manage to spell out entire player names—a feat sure to light up social platforms with endless flexing.
Inked Rookie Sweaters make their enthusiastic return, with their /99 rarity only exceeded by even rarer Patch parallels, /25 in the world. Veteran ink isn’t scarce either, with Inked Sweaters putting up a spirited fifteen rounds at 1:100 packs, alongside patch parallels that reach equal heights.
Banner cards swing back into fashion, snapping up pieces from pivotal events like Draft Days, Stanley Cup Finals, Winter Classics—and for the elite chaser, autographed versions await the ultra-swank pursuer.
The parade of inserts remains scintillating. New Grooves roars back, putting top rookies at center stage alongside Red /499, Gold /149, Rainbow /99, Purple /5, and Green 1/1 options. Meanwhile, the NHL Masters insert set, a number-perfect /299 entrée, steps chicly onto the ice with gleaming Jersey and Patch versions carrying the pride of rookies, seasoned superstars, and time-honored legends.
For those eager to drop the puck, the Quick Box Breakdown spills all:
– Each pack contains nine cards (with a single pack per box).
– Each box case embraces 20 packs split into two 10-box inner clusters.
– The mightily rich set counts 200 in total.
– Expected to land in joyous January 2026 (bearing in mind potential delays characteristic of such eagerly anticipated releases).
In the midst of nostalgic and spirited pursuits, immerse in an icy wave of thrilling excitement and ever-thinning wallet status—SP Game Used Hockey is back, celebrating a quarter-century on the ice with the zeal of a surefire Hall of Famer hitting the high notes of their career.
