As the puck drops for another thrilling hockey season, the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey set has made its rocking debut. This highly anticipated release delivers a knockout punch to the collector community, rounding out the year’s trifecta of flagship hockey card sets. For any self-respecting aficionado or hoarder of hockey memorabilia, this collection is not just a set of paper and pictures but a hallowed tome of sporting wonders, ripe with an enticing new brew of player updates, spellbinding inserts, and a veritable who’s who of Young Guns rookie cards.
Fancy yourself a generous helping of hockey immortality pressed between two glossy surfaces? Well, my friend, you’re in luck. The extended series doesn’t merely top off Series 1 and Series 2—it expands the 2024-25 Upper Deck Hockey cast of characters into a grandiose, sprawling lineup that now boasts an eye-bulging total of 750 cards. Whether you’re tearing open another pack in your living room or swapping cards at the local hobby shop, each Hobby box promises a kaleidoscope of potential with inserts aplenty and the prospect of parallels appearing virtually every time you reach into a packet.
Getting to the nitty-gritty, this expansion intimidates no one. Adding a robust 250 fresh faces to the series, it kicks off with 200 cards spotlighting the stalwarts we root for and rant about every season. Updated jerseys cue the fresh-off-the-bench look for veteran stars in this lineup—it’s like seeing your childhood action figures get a snazzy new wardrobe. But the real stars—or rather, the Young Guns—are reserved for the final showdown in the last 50 spots, including the exclusive 1st Round Rookies. Picture it: short-printed, rare gems, appearing like a mirage every other pack, making hearts race and collector minds swirl in excitement.
Speaking of rare gems, let’s break out the map to navigate the dazzling world of parallel cards. Here’s where collector aspirations and chance intersect beautifully:
– Outburst – A collector’s delight at 1:30 packs in Hobby, or if you’re a Blaster devotee, you’ve got a 1:90 pack odd to nab this beauty.
– Clear Cut – Surfacing for air at 1:96 packs.
– Deluxe – If rarity had a number, 250 would be it.
– Exclusives – Even fewer swimming in the sea, with only 100 available.
– Outburst Red – (Oh, to snag one of the precious 25!)
– High Gloss – Ten tantalizing treasures waiting to be discovered.
– Outburst Gold – That elusive, shimmering unicorn, sitting alone in its 1/1 splendor.
Now let’s pause for a word on inserts, and that word is “abundance.” Your old friends, the UD Canvas cards, are back, gracing four spots in every Hobby box like a dependable season vet. But canvases aren’t all; think Black and White parallels and the ultra-exclusive Printing Plates for those who like their inserts infused with a touch of enigma. Dazzling everyone yet again are the aptly named Dazzlers, with hues from Blue (1:12 packs) to the enigmatic Pink (1:72 packs), and for the truly green-hearted, Blaster boxes sneak in a Green Dazzler every quartet of packs.
Have you encountered the Oracles yet? In a grand unveiling deserving of drum rolls and a puff of smoke, these tarot-inspired inserts serve up both SP and SSP variants to perplex and delight. Feeling lucky? Try for the one-in-180-packs challenge that’ll prompt fellow collectors to marvel at your card-wielding prowess.
Ever nostalgic for the classics? Upper Deck has you covered, revisiting treasures of yore with Pros and Prospects (1:4 packs), slapstick Beehive (1:5 packs), retro-cool UD3s (Gold edition decked out at 333), Upper Deck Encore (1:5), and Trilogy Rookie Premiere offerings. Triple Dimensions Reflections sprinkles a little journey through time in each 1:6 packs they’re found, with daring parallels for added color.
Skate across this hockey-hues rainbow with the ever-slick Silver Skates, gliding in at every four packs and occasionally showcasing Gold parallels scarce enough to make gold dust blush—only 250 to boot.
An adventure in a box awaits with the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey, whether you’re eyeing 12 cards per pack and an array of packs in Hobby boxes or assembling your lineup from the compact yet mighty Blaster boxes. Each box, each pack a promise of treasure waiting to be unveiled. From Young Guns to iconic inserts, each card is a piece of the hockey pantheon, awaiting its rightful place in your meticulously curated collection.