The NHL season has begun and puck fans are anticipating another great season on the ice. With three memorabilia cards, two rookie cards, an autograph card and a rookie exchange card in every box on average, opening up 2008-09 NHL Artifacts is the perfect way to celebrate hockey’s triumphant return.

“The Artifacts hockey line has developed a faithful following over the years and we feel it’s important to stay true to all the components that have made it a success,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager. “Collectors really enjoy the ‘Auto Facts’ autograph cards and ‘Tundra Tandems’ memorabilia cards. With rookie cards of Kyle Turris (Coyotes), Claude Giroux (Flyers) and Kyle Okposo (Islanders) – along with exchange cards for new players hitting the ice right now – there are plenty of talented rookie artifacts to find.”

“Auto Facts” autograph cards can be found one per box on average and the set includes top names from the NHL like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, along with retired legends like Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. There are a variety of parallels to each of the memorabilia sets with some limited to only one copy so that is sure to enhance the chase aspect with 2008-09 NHL Artifacts.

The three core limited-edition inserts in the set are “Artifacts Legends,” “Artifacts Stars” and “Artifacts Rookies” with each card being limited to just 999 copies. There are parallel versions of these cards as well, including a one-of-one autograph version. The “Black Rainbow” autograph parallel should have collectors feeling like they scored a hat trick if they are lucky enough to pull one from a pack.

Upper Deck’s 2008-09 NHL Artifacts has four cards per pack and is available on eBay now.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:·

(all inserts/subsets combine for 1 hit per pack)

o Three jersey, patch or jersey/patch cards numbered to 199 or less! (on average)

§ One will be a two-or three-player memorabilia card!

o Two Artifacts rookie cards!

o One rookie redemption card!

o Also featuring an Auto-Facts signature card!

o Two numbered Legends/Stars subset cards!

· A terrific addition – look for great jersey/patch combo cards!

· Now up to seven levels of parallels for each insert, subset and regular cards!

PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

· Memorabilia Cards

o Treasured Swatches – #’d to 199

o Frozen Artifacts – #’d to 199

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Silver Parallels – #’d to 100

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Gold Parallels – #’d to 75

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Blue Parallels – #’d to 50

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Red Parallels – #’d to 10

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Black Parallels – #’d to 1

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/Patch Parallels – #’d to 50

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/Patch Silver Parallels – #’d to 35

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/Patch Gold Parallels – #’d to 25

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/Patch Blue Parallels – #’d to 10

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/Patch Black Parallels – #’d to 1

o Treasured Swatches/Frozen Artifacts, Jersey/ Tag Patch Black Parallels – #’d to 1

o Tundra Tandems (dual jerseys) – #’d to 100

o Tundra Tandems (dual jerseys), Bronze Parallel – #’d to 75

o Tundra Tandems (dual jerseys), Silver Parallel – #’d to 50

o Tundra Tandems (dual jerseys), Gold Parallel – #’d to 25

o Tundra Tandems (dual jerseys), Red Parallel – #’d to 1

o Tundra Tandems (dual patches), Copper Parallel – #’d to 35

o Tundra Tandems (dual patches), Silver Parallel – #’d to 10

o Tundra Tandems (dual patches), Gold Parallel – #’d to 5

o Tundra Tandems (dual tag patches), Red Parallel – #’d to 1

o Tundra Trios (triple jerseys) Gold – #’d to 75

o Tundra Trios (triple patches) Blue – #’d to 10

· Rookie Cards

o Artifacts Rookies – numbered to 999

o Artifacts Rookie Redemption cards – inserted 1:10

· Signature Cards

o Auto-Facts – inserted 1:10

· Parallel Cards

o Regular Cards – Silver parallel – #’d to 100

o Regular Cards – Gold parallel – #’d to 75

o Regular Cards – Blue parallel – #’d to 50

o Regular Cards – Copper Spectrum parallel – #’d to 25

o Regular Cards – Silver Spectrum parallel – #’d to 10

o Regular Cards – Gold Spectrum parallel – #’d to 5

o Regular Cards – Black Rainbow Spectrum parallel – #’d to 1

o Regular Cards – Black Rainbow Auto parallel – #’d to 1

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Silver parallel – #’d to 100

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Gold parallel – #’d to 75

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Blue parallel – #’d to 50

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Copper Spectrum parallel – #’d to 25

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Silver Spectrum parallel – #’d to 10

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Gold Spectrum parallel – #’d to 5

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Black Rainbow Spectrum parallel – #’d to 1

o Legends/Stars/Rookie Cards – Black Rainbow Auto parallel – #’d to 1

· Regular Cards & Subset

o Legends/Stars – #’d to 999

o 100 Regular Cards

The struggling economy has just about everyone reevaluating their purchasing decisions. Upper Deck is excited to provide hockey fans with a product where they won’t need to open a new line of credit to afford it: 2008-09 Fleer Ultra Hockey. Each box delivers plenty of value with 24 Gold Medallion parallels, six Ultra Rookies, one rookie redemption and two game-used or autograph cards, on average.

Hockey collectors will find what they have come to expect with Fleer Ultra as the quality base cards all boast crisp photography and there are plenty of exciting insert cards to chase. Collectors will also find two new additions with the debut of “EX” and “EX Jambalaya” insert sets in 2008-09 Fleer Ultra Hockey.

The 42-card EX set highlights the NHL’s top stars on a very unique acetate surface and collectors can find three of these cards per every hobby box on average. The 20-card EX Jambalaya set features the best of the best the NHL has to offer and these cards will be tougher to find (1:864 packs) which should ensure high values for each of these limited cards.

Upper Deck gets hockey fans closer to the game with the game-used memorabilia insert “Ultra Uniformity.” Collectors can find “Ultra Uniformity” inserts of players like Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals), Ilya Kovalchuk (Thrashers), Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) and Mats Sundin (Leafs) which fall at a ratio of 1:12 packs on average. And the autographed “Fresh Ink” set includes names like Carey Price (Canadiens), Henrik Zetterberg (Red Wings), Patrick Kane (Blackhawks) and Sidney Crosby (Penguins) falling, on average, one card per case.

“Hockey fans shouldn’t have to give up their love for the hobby in a down economy,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager. “Our 2008-09 NHL Fleer Ultra Hockey brand provides them with a great way to tap into the hockey market at a very reasonable price. With the inclusion of new insert sets like EX and EX Jambalaya, there is a lot more value for collectors and we expect these cards to be very popular.”

Upper Deck’s 2008-09 Fleer Ultra hockey carries a suggested retail price of $2.99 per eight-card hobby pack and is available on eBay right now.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:

o Get six Rookie Cards in EVERY Box, on average

Plus get a Rookie Redemption card for a player who debuts early in the 08/09 season

o Collect Gold Medallion parallels of the regular set – averaging one per pack – and look for limited numbered Ice Medallion parallels

o Each box contains two jersey or signature cards, on average

o Look for the debut of EX Hockey with three cards per box, on average, and limited numbered parallels

o Search for rare EX Hockey Jambalaya insert cards

PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

Insert Cards

o Scoring Kings – Inserted 1:6

o Difference Makers – Inserted 1:6

o Franchise Players – Inserted 1:12

o Season Crowns – Inserted 1:12

o EX Hockey – Inserted 1:8

o EX Essential Credentials Red // (#’d to 99 or less)

o EX Essential Credentials Green // (#’d to 99 or less)

o EX Hockey Jambalaya – Inserted 1:864

Parallels

o Regular Cards Gold Medallions Parallel – Inserted 1:1

o Ultra Rookies Gold Medallions Parallel – Inserted 1:8

o Rookie Redemption Gold Medallions Parallel – Inserted 1:288

o Regular Cards Ice Medallions Parallel (#’d up to 100)

o Ultra Rookies Ice Medallions Parallel (#’d up to 100)

o Rookie Redemption Ice Medallions Parallel (# up to 100)

Memorabilia Cards

o Ultra Uniformity – Inserted 1:12

Autograph Cards

o Fresh Ink – Inserted 1:288

Regular Cards and Rookies

o 200 Regular Cards

o Ultra Rookies – Inserted 1:4

Upper Deck now owns the rights to the long-running OPC brand, once a Canadian Topps subsidiary.   Friday, UD issued a press release regarding the newest hockey card set.

Just as the first pucks were ready to drop to open up the 2008-09 NHL Season, Upper Deck’s latest O-Pee-Chee Hockey release was hitting store shelves across North America.  With a 600-card base set,  the 2008-09 NHL O-Pee-Chee launch features a wide array of elements that Upper Deck says are sure to ignite the underlying passion of rabid hockey card collectors everywhere.

The overall collection is complemented by a stunning array of rookie cards (“Marquee Rookies”) and legends (“OPC Legends”) that combine at a rate of one in every two packs, on average. But it’s the loaded assortment of very cool inserts that will keep pack-crackers coming back for more.

The memorabilia and signature cards are headlined by “OPC Triple Materials” (1:108 packs); “OPC Signatures” (1:432); and “OPC Autographed Buybacks (1:432). Some of the top “Triple Materials” cards include star-studded scoring trios like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier, as well as extraordinary netminders like Patrick Roy, Grant Fuhr and Ron Hextall. Some of the more sought-after signature cards in this season’s O-Pee-Chee launch include Alexander Ovechkin, Marty Turco, Martin Brodeur, Jonathan Toews, Nicklas Backstrom and Joe Thornton. The autographed buybacks afford a special look at yesteryear with former legends like Bobby Clarke (Flyers), Tony Esposito (Blackhawks), Brian Leetch (Rangers), Billy Smith (Islanders) and Phil Esposito (Bruins) headlining the list.

There is also a 1979-80 “Vintage Variation” series of cards inserted in every pack, with a retro set rainbow parallel that’s numbered to 100. A gold parallel of the regular base cards as well as the rookies and legends, inserted 1:4 packs, further bolsters the vast elements included this season.  And a lineup of five “Old-School” inserts, combining at a rate of 1:4 packs, provides a nostalgic look at seasons past. The “Team Checklists” (sporting a retro look); “Season Highlights”; “Trophy Cards”; “First, Second Team All-Stars & All-Rookie Teams”; and “2007-08 Stat Leaders” cards will add history and old-school design to this latest offering.

“O-Pee-Chee has a terrific fan following and this year’s release has something for every level of collector,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager. “With the new season just underway, now is the perfect time to launch a product of this magnitude. The ‘Triple Materials’ memorabilia cards and the autographed buybacks are two of my favorite inserts.”

Upper Deck’s 2008-09 NHL O-Pee-Chee carries a suggested retail price of $1.59 per six-card pack with 36 packs per box. Boxes and singles are already available on eBay.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:

·600-card set ideal for set collectors

· ’79-80 Retro variation of the entire regular set

o All 600 players in new photos and a design commemorating the popular set (one per pack)

· Autographed Buybacks return, delivering an average of one per case

· Collect Winter Classic Highlights, averaging 1 per box

o These laminated cards are must-haves for anyone who enjoys hockey in its purest form

· Look for in-pack rookie cards of players who debuted near the end of the ’07-08 season

· Triple memorabilia cards (averaging 4 per case) and OPC Signatures (averaging 1 per case) give the set some big-time punch

· Five old-school inserts combine to deliver hits (1:4) the way they did in yesteryear

Boxes of 2008 SP Rookie Threads Football are loaded with two “Rookie Autograph Letterman” cards, three autograph cards (including the chance of pulling multi-signed versions), five memorabilia cards and one “Super Swatch,” “Super Patch” or multi-player jersey card. The “Super Swatch” and “Super Patch” cards include huge patches of memorabilia from the players depicted on each of the cards.

This year there are three levels of collectability within the “Rookie Autograph Letterman” cards: either the last name of the players, their colleges or their college’s nickname. To make the process easier for collectors, Upper Deck lists what the group of cards should spell right below the autograph swatch.

“Rookies like Matt Ryan, Felix Jones, Steve Slaton, Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Chris Johnson and so many others are all emerging as huge talents,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck’s associate brand manager for Football. “It’s not surprising that collectors are flocking to a product like this with so much content focusing on these players. We’ve included autograph content from huge retired stars like Gale Sayers, John Elway, Y.A. Tittle and Joe Montana as well to bring 2008 SP Rookie Threads Football full circle.”

Each five-card pack of 2008 SP Rookie Threads Football carries a suggested retail price of $50 and football fans can find packs in stores now.

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:

o Two (2) Autographed Rookie Lettermen in EVERY box, on average!

o Three (3) Autographs per box, on average!

o Five (5) jersey cards in EVERY box, on average!

o One (1) each of a Super Swatch, Patch, and multi-player jersey card per box, on average!

o Look for a combination of Six (6) multi-signed cards or autograph-memorabilia cards per case, on average!

PRODUCT BREAKDOWN:

Autographed Memorabilia Cards

o Rookie Lettermen – Last Name (Varied #)

o Rookie Lettermen Parallel – College (Varied #)

o Rookie Lettermen Parallel – College Nickname (Varied #)

o Rookie Lettermen Parallel – Last Name (Varied #)

o Rookie Threads Autograph Parallels (# to 50 or less)

o Rookie Threads Patch Autograph Parallels (# to 25 or less)

o Rookie Super Swatch Autograph Parallel (# to 15)

o Super Swatch Autograph Parallel (# to 5)

Autographed Cards

o Signing Day (# to 199 or less)

o Signature Draft Choice (# to 199 or less)

o Scripted in Time (# to 199 or less)

o SP Authentics (# to 199 or less)

o Multi Marks Duals, Triples, Quads, Sixes, and Eights (# to 299 or less)

Memorabilia Cards

o Rookie Threads (# to 250)

o Rookie Threads Parallels (# to 199 or less)

o Rookie Threads Patch Parallels (# to 99 or less)

o Dual Threads (# to 160)

o Dual Threads Parallels (# to 99 or less)

o Triple Threads (# to 100)

o Triple Threads Parallels (# to 60 or less)

o Rookie Foursome (# to 75)

o Rookie Foursome Parallels (# to 50 or less)

o Rookie Super Swatch (# to 175)

o Rookie Super Swatch Parallels (# to 99 or less)

o Super Swatch (# to 25)

o Super Swatch Parallels (# to 15 or less)

o Flashback Fabrics (# up to 200)

o Flashback Fabrics Parallels (# up to 115)

o Legendary Numbers (# to 99)

o Legendary Numbers Parallels (# to 50 or less)

o Stitch in Time (# to 99)

o Stitch in Time Parallels (# to 50 or less)

o Rookie Numbers (# to 99)

o Rookie Numbers Parallels (# to 50 or less)

o Dual Threads Patch Parallel (# to 35)

o Triple Threads Patch Parallel (# to 20)

o Rookie Foursome Patch Parallel (# to 15)

o Rookie Super Swatch Patch Parallel (# to 25)

o Super Swatch Patch (# to 10)

o Rookie Numbers Patch Parallels (# to 50 or less)

Regular Cards

o Base Set – 100 Cards