2017-18 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey ends the wait for ‘Young Guns’

Every NHL season, hockey card collectors anxiously await the arrival of the “Young Guns” rookie cards. That delay has ended with the release of 2017-18 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

Now available online as well as on hobby store shelves, 2017-18 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey promises to satiate the longings of collectors who look forward to the annual tradition of the “Young Guns” rookie cards like children anticipate their birthdays.

Series 1 is about much more than the rookies, however. The 200-card base set of veteran players complements the 50-card “Young Guns,” and both come with short-printed parallels. These are highlighted by the High Gloss parallels, which are numbered to 10. For those unfamiliar with that language, that means that there were only 10 copies of each card produced.

More rare hits can be found among the set’s inserts. The most elusive of them is a photo variant of the 2017 NHL Draft SP (Short-Print), which comes once in every 72,000 packs. Other chases include an autographed version of Ceremonial Puck Drop cards (1 in 16,000 packs) and photo variations of Centennial Standouts (1 in every 1,000 packs).

As is the standard with Series 1, several autographed and memorabilia cards are included. For the autographed cards, Signature Sensations will be found once in every 288 packs, while UD Canvas Signatures are numbered to the corresponding players’ uniform numbers.

Relic cards include UD Game Jerseys (1 in every 36 packs) with a patch parallel numbered to 15. One of the most unique things that set Upper Deck cards apart is the timed release of content over multiple sets, and Series 1’s relic cards are part of the “A Piece of History” collection.

Focusing on keepers who have secured at least 300 wins along with skaters who have racked up 500 goals and/or 1,000 points in their careers, “A Piece of History” offers historic memorabilia. The 300 Win Club cards come once in every 7,200 packs with a patch parallel numbered to 10. The 500 Goal Club cards also appear once in every 7,200 packs. The 1,000 Point Club cards are a tad easier to come by, appearing once in every 2,400 packs.

While all that content is enough to sell Series 1 on its own, the reason many collectors look forward to the product is the “Young Guns.” This year’s crop of 50 rookies includes the likes of Vancouver Canucks wing Brock Boeser and New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher. In addition to the 50 base cards, there is a Canvas variant which comes once in every 48 packs and include some rookies not included in the 50-card base set.

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While many collectors rip packs looking for the NHL’s hottest rookies, Series 1 delivers much more. Regardless of motivation, the set is a great way to build the collections of hockey fans.