Upper Deck hit an absolute homerun when it first released its 2024 PWHL cards. Hobby boxes included 12 packs per box, and each box had an average of three Young Guns cards, one Young Guns Outburst parallel, two Dazzler inserts, and eight Portraits inserts. At $169 per box, it provided good value for money, and although those new to the hobby felt it was expensive, the price point was reasonable.
However, Upper Deck had no idea just how popular the product would be and how fast it would sell out. Hobby shops were shocked to see the product fly off the shelves as people rushed to acquire the Young Guns cards of hockey legends Marie-Philip Poulin and Hilary Knight.
The biggest hit of the series was pulled on the south shore of Montreal when the Poulin gold Outburst 1/1 was hit in a box at Candiac’s store Collect Edition. The fan who drew the card put it up for sale on eBay, and while it didn’t get the $50,000 asking price, it still sold for $20,000.
After that sale, Upper Deck took note and started preparing a series for the second year of the league. Fans were told they could expect a more complete product, which would include autographed cards much like in NHL products, and many were drooling at the thought of pulling an autographed card of Poulin, the queen of hockey.
The release date has finally been announced, and I’m afraid those who were hoping for the same price point will be sorely disappointed. The boxes can now be preordered for $350 per box, and while they still contain 12 packs, there are fewer hits than in the last release.
This time around, there will only be an average of two Young Guns, one Young Gun Outburst, two Dazzlers, two Elevated Talents, and a single Portrait. Cutting out one rookie card per box and raising the price in such an aggressive manner is unexplainable.
As initially announced, there will be some autograph content. Twenty-nine of the base cards will have an autograph version, and these will not be hard-signed; instead, they will feature sticker autographs. Upper Deck has not judged it appropriate to release the odds of actually pulling one of those cards, but we do know which athletes will be featured:
Brianne Jenner, Thereza Schafzahi, Aerin Frankel, Lee Stecklein, Sophie Jacques, Hannah Miller, Katerina Mrazova, Jaime Bourbonnais, Emerance Maschmeyer, Megan Keller, Maddie Rooney, Kristen Campbell, Jocelyne Larocque, Jamie Lee Rattray, Natalie Buchbinder, Erin Ambrose, Daryl Watts, Hannah Brandt, Susanna Tapani, Emma Maltais, Nicole Hensley, Alina Muller, Maureen Murphy, Elaine Chuli, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Micah Zandee-Hart, Taylor Heise, Abby Roque and Ella Shelton.
There’s also a subset called PWHL Signatures Set, which includes five cards only and for which no odds have been provided. The athletes included in that set are: Daniela Pejsova, Hannah Bilka, Julia Gosling, Maya Nylen Persson, and Sarah Fillier.
Notice any names missing? There’s no Poulin, no Knight, no Laura Stacey, no Ann-Renee Desbiens, no Natalie Spooner, and no Sarah Nurse. I cannot understand how Upper Deck can justify the price increase, considering that all these major athletes are missing.
Most of them have exclusivity contracts when it comes to signing autographs, but those who own those signing rights were willing to negotiate with the card producer so that they could put out a complete product on the market. However, Upper Deck didn’t value these athletes enough to reach an agreement.
Of course, the release does feature the autographs of young stars like Fillier and Heise, which is great, but players like those mentioned above are still among the biggest stars of the game, and their absence considerably weakens the product.
Experienced hobbyists will likely notice the omission, as they will review the checklist. Still, the surge of interest in the PWHL has attracted new fans to the hobby, and they may not be experienced enough to know that a list exists detailing what is included in the release.
The PWHL has been a blessing for young girls everywhere. They’ve realized that they, too, can dream big now and hope to play professional hockey, but apparently, they won’t be able to buy a pack of cards of their idols since each pack will retail for over $30.
I’ve collected cards for years, and I’ve always been a fan of Upper Deck’s work, but I’m afraid this release will not meet my expectations. Before you preorder or purchase a box, please consult the checklist to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Photo credit: Caroline Anne