Upper Deck supplies collectors with an unannounced Connor Bedard Easter egg in Series One
The Bedard bonanza has run rampant in the hockey world and things are about to get even spicier in the hockey card hobby.
Upper Deck released its flagship Series One set on Wednesday and although Bedard’s name was nowhere to be seen on the checklist, there was wide speculation that the new set could feature some sort of unannounced card of the 2023 top pick.
Alas, the speculation turned out to be factual, and Bedard Easter eggs started popping up online mere hours after the set was released.
-“The speculation was already creating a bit of a buzz [for the set],” Rey Revereza, Co-Owner of Dolly’s Sports Cards in Toronto told The Hockey News. “But once the Bedard card was actually confirmed, we posted it online and things got hectic for the first hour or two after the shop opened. The phone was ringing off the hook and people were flooding to the store to buy boxes of this stuff."
Multiple copies of the card have since popped up on eBay already ranging with asking values between $750 - $2,500 Canadian.
This isn't the first card ever printed of the rookie phenom. In fact, there are many cards of Bedard as he was prominently featured in Upper Deck's CHL and Team Canada products. However, this is the first rookie card that can be pulled out of a pack with him in a Blackhawks sweater, and that's the reason for the excitement.
The addition of this card in Series One is a big win for the product as the Young Guns class didn't excite most people as none of the 2023 draftees were expected to be in the set. Instead of hunting for Bedard or Fantilli rookie cards, the top names to chase are players like Matthew Knies, Devon Levi, and Luke Hughes. They're still great talents, but those guys aren't quite on the same level as the other two.
For those hoping to get their hands on the highly coveted and anticipated Connor Bedard Young Guns, you’ll have to wait until February when Series Two gets released. I have a feeling the demand for those boxes will be exponentially higher than this one.
For now, the special Easter eggs in Series One will have to suffice.