Ladies and gentlemen, lords and lasses of the rink, the hockey collectors’ most anticipated event has skated into our midst. The 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey set has triumphantly arrived, completing the triumvirate of hockey card releases for the year with a slap shot of excitement and nostalgia. This set is the riveting epilogue that amplifies the saga of Upper Deck’s flagship hockey trinity, offering a dazzling freeze of updated player cards, enticing inserts, and the frenzy-inducing Young Guns rookies. This isn’t just another set; it’s a siren call to serious collectors and hockey enthusiasts thirsty for fresh cardboard conquests.
Picture this: an enhanced panorama of 750 cards strong, expanding the full 2024-25 Upper Deck lineup with flair and tenacity. Each hobby box is a treasure trove, promising a kaleidoscope of inserts or parallels tucked neatly in nearly every pack. They beckon with undisclosed mysteries and rare treasures, itching to be discovered, admired, and perhaps traded among fellow connoisseurs.
Embark on a deep dive into the checklist, and you’ll unearth a bounty of 250 new cards added to the series. While the initial lineup of 200 is a tribute to veteran players in their new garbs or fresh teams, ready for their closeup in newfound visual splendor, the real game-changers lie in the final 50. These cards—an exalted realm of Young Guns and the exclusive 1st Round Rookies—are the crown jewels. Appearing approximately every other pack, these short-printed gems are whispered desires in every collector’s ear, promising a glimpse into hockey’s star-studded future.
Now let’s talk about the pièce de résistance—those elusive parallel cards. With each varying in rarity like seasons of a vintage wine, the chase for these cards is as exciting as a sudden-death shootout:
– Outburst, found 1 in every 30 hobby packs, is the tease, the one to keep your eyes peeled for, especially as it escalates to a 1 in 90 rarity in Blaster boxes.
– Clear Cut, looming at a tricky 1 in 96, is like finding a four-leaf clover on a winter’s day—elusive and oh-so-desirable.
– Then there are the Exclusives, limited to just 100, the tantalizing Outburst Red numbered to a scant 25, and High Gloss shimmering at a mere 10.
– But hold onto your pucks for the ultimate unicorn: the Outburst Gold, a singularity in card form—1 of a kind.
The prism of inserts and special features in this Extended Series is a veritable who’s who of returning favorites sure to dazzle and delight. UD Canvas is back, strutting around like a seasoned veteran, appearing four times per hobby box with subsets that celebrate the likes of Young Guns, Legends, and NHL All-Stars. Black and White parallels offer an air of mystery, while exclusive Printing Plates are the true blue ribands of any collection.
The Dazzlers inserts scintillate in Blue at a generous 1 per 12 packs, while the rare Pink makes a bold statement at 1 in 72, and the mystique of a Printing Plate awaits the lucky one. Our Blaster boxes harbor exclusive Green Dazzlers appearing like leprechauns 1 in every 4 packs.
Behold the new sage on the scene: Oracles. Classically inspired by tarot cards, these inserts create a clairvoyant collectathon where SPs (1 in 30 packs) give way to laboratory-rare SSPs (1 in 45 packs) and spiriting away to fractions found 1 in 180. A challenge indeed for those brave enough to hunt through this fortune-telling oracle’s deck.
Upper Deck wouldn’t let us down without some classic comebacks, like a favorite band reuniting for a grand tour. Pros and Prospects, Beehive, UD3, Upper Deck Encore—they parade through packs, cloaked in history, inviting nostalgia in every shuffle and draw. Trilogy Rookie Premieres cascade forth in varying ranks from Common (/999) to Rare (/99), while Triple Dimensions Reflections unfold in a prismatic spread from base (1 in 6 packs) to Sapphire (/10).
Silver Skates returns, a glide of grace in base form at 1 in 4 packs, their golden counterparts a delightful 250.
For the hobby box adventurer, the terrain is mapped with precision: each set of 12 containments brims with promise—Beehive, Pros and Prospects, or Upper Deck Encore flock unto eight per haul; Blue Dazzlers as lighthouse beacons; Oracles beckoning in pairs; a blend of Rookie Reflections, Silver Skates, or UD3 offering eight glimpses of wonder; and the wondrous spectrum of Triple Dimensions Reflections enchantedly in pairs. UD Canvas parades four proud renderings; Outbursts exhibit their allure only once; and the much-coveted Young Guns or 1st Round Rookies count six comrades standing honor-bound.
Bundles of joy, these hobby boxes harbor rich veins of nostalgia, allure, and dreams sprinkled with the fairy dust of special finds—Crystal Clear Cuts, monochrome masterpieces, or the SSP Oracles tantalizing with destiny—it’s enough to tempt even the most steadfast of hearts. This Extended Series offers a vivid and rewarding journey through the ice-bound arenas of collectibles, guaranteed to charm both casual fans and seasoned patrons. Within this riot of glossy paper and promise, every card is a new chapter waiting to be claimed.
