Move over Bedard; there’s a new sensation burning bright in the hockey collectibles realm, and his name is Macklin Celebrini. Following the release of the 2024-25 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey, fans and collectors have been sent into a veritable frenzy, chasing down Celebrini’s rookie cards with the feverish intensity of an all-star breakaway.
The dynamism surrounding these prized possessions isn’t just a case of rookie card mania; it’s a reflection of Celebrini himself, the San Jose Sharks’ number one overall pick. This 18-year-old wunderkind, aptly monikered “The Cheetah” due to his mesmerizing skating speed, is bringing a whirlwind of talent and expectation to the NHL ice, leaving seasoned players—and collectors—scrambling to catch up.
It’s been a while since the league has seen such electric fervor over a rookie, drawing inevitable comparisons to the likes of Connor Bedard and Auston Matthews. With his swift feet, sharp instincts, and undeniable knack for finding the back of the net, Celebrini’s rookie season has been anything but pedestrian. It’s as if he’s taken the quintessential hockey blueprint and added a dash of something uniquely Celebrini-esque.
The Sharks, entrenched in a rebuild phase, have found a striking beacon of hope in Celebrini. He’s not just a player to watch; he’s the player collectors are banking on, both in terms of performance on the ice and investment off it.
Upper Deck’s latest Series 2 release includes three must-have Macklin Celebrini cards, which have already established themselves as cornerstone pieces in any collector’s arsenal. The base Young Guns rookie card is currently commanding a cool $200 on eBay, a testament to its early desirability. Meanwhile, collectors can also seek out the Young Guns “Teammates” card—a nostalgic nod celebrating teamwork featuring fellow Shark rookie Will Smith—and the checklist card, which pairs Celebrini with Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie Matvei Michkov. Both cards, albeit valued slightly lower, have held their own in setting collectors’ hearts aflame.
Upper Deck’s exclusive autograph deal with Celebrini, inked back in July 2024, adds another layer of allure and scarcity to these items. His autographed cards, only obtainable through Upper Deck’s prestige line, are predicted not only to bank on the current hype but to serve as lucrative investments for the future. Through capturing this hot streak early, collectors are placing Celebrini’s collectibles on a trajectory similar to the iconic careers of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, whose early cards have morphed into treasured collectibles and sound financial investments.
Despite the burgeoning pressure and comparisons rife in the world of sports, Celebrini’s approach remains refreshingly stoic. With a straightforwardness that belies his youthful age, he told Puck Junk, “I have my expectations for myself. I’m not really comparing myself to other guys like Bedard. I know what I can do, and I’m just going to try to play my game.”
Such self-assuredness ensures that his fans—and his detractors—will be seeing plenty more of the young phenom, be it on the ice or in their carefully curated collections.
While the secondary market adjusts to the hefty demands of his cards, Macklin Celebrini remains unruffled. His game—both in reality and in its collectible form—is a testament to focus and perseverance, shattering the typical rookie card mold.
For all the hype swirling tirelessly around the Upper Deck release and for all the energetic comparisons aiming to pin him against other hockey luminaries, it’s clear that Macklin Celebrini is carving his own trail, one electrifying stickhandling move at a time. To the collectors and investors who are eyeing their Celebrini cards and thinking they’ve stumbled upon the next big thing—they might just be onto something. The hockey world, much like a card display case wiped clean, reflects the latent promise in this young star, glinting in the light of his anticipated greatness.
This budding chapter in hockey card history isn’t just about a demand for cardboard portraits of hockey greats; it’s about capturing a moment, an era, marked by a young player’s ascent from draft darling to the ice’s newest pivot point of excitement. As the chase for Macklin Celebrini’s cards continues at a dizzying pace, perhaps the only thing left catching up is us—watching, waiting, and eagerly collecting every piece of the rising star’s journey.
