2011-12 NHL rookies making an impact

Here's a list of NHL rookies that are making an impact in the NHL so far. Look for these rookies and more in Upper Deck series 1 hockey releasing November 9th!

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft recorded a hat trick in just his third NHL contest, collecting all three Edmonton goals against the Stanley Cup finalist Canucks. It’s easy to see why his impact is already being felt, and even more so why collectors are thrilled at the prospects of nabbing one of his RC’s!
Gabriel Landeskog – It didn’t take any time for the second pick in the 2011 Draft to jump right into Colorado’s top six, instantly becoming a regular on a top line. Tabbed as the “Most NHL Ready” of this year’s crop, Landeskog has done nothing to disappoint, and is a key reason why the Avs have jumped out to a quick start to the season.
Sean Couturier – After leading the Flyers in pre-season scoring, the much-heralded Couturier cracked Philly’s lineup to open the season. He continued his strong play when the games counted, collecting his first helper in game No. 3, then chalked up three more points less than a week later.
Brett Connolly – Connolly was an absolute force with Prince George (CHL), showing why Steve Yzerman and the Lightning used their first pick in 2010 to select the sniping centerman. Moreover, Connolly stuck with Tampa this fall after displaying his talents and wherewithal to light the lamp, no matter how stiff the competition.
Cody Hodgson – One viewed as a premier sniper with Brampton (OHL) and the Canadian World Junior team, Hodgson’s stock has steadily been on the rise after battling through a couple injury-riddled seasons. He skills with the puck have never been questioned, and his desire to reach the Canucks’ top two lines is now being realized, through hard work, perseverance and the determination to prove he’s still the player many scouts drooled over just two years ago.
Mark Scheifele – With much of the early 2011-12 hype surrounding the return of hockey to Winnipeg, the Jets’ first choice in this year’s draft did nothing to disappoint. Scheifele scored his first NHL goal in Toronto, giving his club a 3-1 lead in a battle against the Leafs. Much more is expected, and will come, from this talented forward who has the size to match.
Ryan Johansen – The Blue Jackets’ skill has been on the rise, and Johansen’s talents are now firmly in the mix. Slated to be the second-line center, many hockey pundits are predicting great things for Johansen. With a ton of hockey sense, great puck awareness and a proclivity for putting points on the board in Juniors – 161 total in just 134 games – it’s only a matter of time before it clicks at the NHL level.
Jake Gardiner – When a GM drafts you in one place (Anaheim), then trades for you when he gets to another club (Toronto), there’s a reason for it. And when that GM’s name is Brian Burke, there’s good reason for it – you’re quite the hockey player. With blazing speed, tremendous offensive upside and a very solid all-around game, Gardiner figures to be a stalwart on the Leafs’ blueline. And if Burke’s affinity for this blueliner proves to be accurate, Toronto fans will be cheering for years.
Mika Zibanejad – Selected with the sixth pick in the 2011 Draft, Zibanejad excelled in Sweden the past three seasons. He put up 21 points in 27 contests for Djurgardens of the Super-Elite Junior squad before posting five goals in the Elite league last year. Knowing that he jumped into a top-six forward role to start the season gives great indication of what lies ahead for this playmaking winger.
Adam Larsson – Certainly one of the most impressive all-around players to be drafted in June, Larsson easily cracked the Devils lineup to start the year. He projects as a tremendous two-way player from the blueline, one who can be counted on to register 35-40 points a year while playing very solid defense. It should just be a matter of time before Larsson is regarded as an elite defenseman.
David Rundblad – Well known for being one of the top all-around rearguard prospects in the game today, Rundblad brings a wealth of offensive talent to Ottawa. He posted 50 points in 55 Swedish Elite League contests, giving Senators’ brass all the confidence needed to entrench him on the blueline.
Tim Erixon – The former first-round pick of the Flames is now squarely in the Rangers’ paws, and they don’t figure to let go anytime soon. With a booming shot and a great sense of the game, Erixon’s stellar two-way play figures to net him large minutes from the get-go. His skating ability gives him a leg up on many youngsters, as he can make up ground in a hurry.
Joe Colborne – Possessing great size (6-foot-5), soft hands and a superb touch around the net, Colborne’s time in Toronto is coming – soon. Unlike some youngsters who made the NHL jump right off the bat, Colborne has been fine-tuning his immense talents, and will undoubtedly make Maple Leafs fans happy with his efforts in the near future. Even more, his hard work is a trait that no one questions, and his great character backs it up that much further.
Matt Read – Acclimating to the NHL was not a challenge for Read, who put up points in his second and third NHL contests before posting a superb 4-point effort in Game No. 5. Those type of stand-out nights already have Flyers fans screaming for more, and Read appears ready to give it to them.
Matt Frattin – There isn’t a better place in hockey to get thousands and thousands of people thrilled with your heroics than Toronto. So when Frattin scored the decisive goal in a shootout vs. Winnipeg (Oct. 19), it certainly sent Leafs’ fans home with memories of Frattin’s effort. Just three games later, he notched his first point, taking another step toward making an impact in Toronto.
Brandon Saad – A strong power forward with good upside, Saad could be a very nice addition to the Hawks lineup. Given Chicago’s wealth of high-end skill and ability to light the lamp, Saad should fit right in and take his game to a new level.
Denis Savard – The Blue Jackets’ top defensive prospect possesses great puck-moving skills, and can put up points like few rearguards can (77 points in 64 regular season games). His efforts in the QMJHL were certainly noteworthy, as he took home the Butch Bouchard Trophy for best defenseman in the league.
Andy Miele – The reigning Hobey Baker winner made his debut on Oct. 23rd. He figures to make many more notable appearances for the Coyotes, who will be looking to utilize his offensive talents that he displayed with Miami (OH), when he posted 71 points in just 39 NCAA contests during his senior year.

2011-12 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey Releases November 8th!

2011-12 Upper Deck series 1 hockey cards promises to deliver some of the most sought after rookie cards with it's Young Guns rookie set. Like every year this is one of the most popular releases in the industry! Here is the checklist of whats coming in Upper Deck 1 hockey!

If you collect hockey cards, you know the first “real” rookie cards of the season that collectors go crazy over are the Upper Deck Young Gun rookies. The new class of Young Guns rookie cards will debut in 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series One set to arrive in stores on November 8. Puck fans will rip through packs in search of the next great Young Guns rookie and wonder if they are holding a card that will be as valuable other great cards like these of the past like these:

2005-06 Upper Deck Sidney Crosby #201 $300
2005-06 Upper Deck Alex Ovechkin #443 $100
2006-07 Upper Deck Evgeni Malkin #486 $80
2007-08 Upper Deck Patrick Kane #210 $50
2007-08 Upper Deck Jonathan Toews #462 $60
2008-09 Upper Deck Steven Stamkos #245 $100
2009-10 Upper Deck John Tavares #201 $60
2010-11 Upper Deck Jeff Skinner #211 $40
2010-11 Upper Deck Taylor Hall #219 $80
2010-11 Upper Deck Jordan Eberle #220 $40
2010-11 Upper Deck P.K. Subban #231 $40

(values according to Beckett Hockey July 2011)

We believe we have another very strong crop of rookies this NHL season and are pleased to present the 2011-12 Upper Deck Series One Young Guns final checklist:

201 Devante Smith-Pelly Anaheim
202 Maxime Macenauer Anaheim
203 Greg Nemisz Calgary
204 Roman Horak Calgary
205 Justin Faulk Carolina
206 Marcus Kruger Chicago
207 Brandon Saad Chicago
208 Gabriel Landeskog Colorado
209 Cameron Gaunce Colorado
210 John Moore Columbus
211 David Savard Columbus
212 Cam Atkinson Columbus
213 Tomas Vincour Dallas
214 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Edmonton
215 Anton Lander Edmonton
216 Teemu Hartikainen Edmonton
217 Erik Gudbranson Florida
218 Brett Bulmer Minnesota
219 Aaron Palushaj Montreal
220 Alexei Yemelin Montreal
221 Raphael Diaz Montreal
222 Brendon Nash Montreal
223 Jonathon Blum Nashville
224 Blake Geoffrion Nashville
225 Craig Smith Nashville
226 Adam Henrique New Jersey
227 Adam Larsson New Jersey
228 Tim Erixon New York
229 Mika Zibanejad Ottawa
230 Colin Greening Ottawa
231 Patrick Wiercioch Ottawa
232 Erik Condra Ottawa
233 Stephane Da Costa Ottawa
234 Sean Couturier Philadelphia
235 Matt Read Philadelphia
236 Erik Gustafsson Philadelphia
237 Joe Vitale Pittsburgh
238 Harri Sateri San Jose
239 Alex Stalock San Jose
240 Brett Connolly Tampa Bay
241 Jake Gardiner Toronto
242 Joe Colborne Toronto
243 Matt Frattin Toronto
244 Ben Scrivens Toronto
245 Cody Hodgson Vancouver
246 Yann Sauve Vancouver
247 Carl Klingberg Winnipeg
248 Mark Scheifele Winnipeg
249 Paul Postma Winnipeg
250 Checklist (Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog, Larsson) Edmonton, Colorado, New Jersey

Upper Deck Kicks Off the NHL Season with the Biggest Set of the Year - 2011/12 NHL O-Pee-Chee

NHL® Set Collectors Rejoice; 2011-12 NHL O-Pee-Chee Hits Stores Today!



With 600 total cards, puck fans can start the season off by building the largest set of the year.



Carlsbad, CA (October 6, 2011) – With the NHL season kicking off today, Upper Deck is pleased to release 2011-12 NHL O-Pee-Chee with a deep variety of players from all the NHL teams. Collectors can find cards of top stars like Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) along with Marquee rookies like Cody Hodgson (Vancouver Canucks), Joe Colborne (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jonathan Blum (Nashville Predators), Matt Frattin (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Carl Klingberg (Winnipeg Jets).



Retro variation cards, O-Pee-Chee Souvenirs (quad memorabilia cards) and O-Pee-Chee Signatures return, but there are a variety of new inserts that collectors will be chasing this season. First up are the Playoff Beard variation cards where the first 50 cards in the set have a rare version (1:9 packs) with an alternate image featuring the athlete sporting their playoff beards.



Next up are the ’10-11 NHL Rookie Update Retro cards featuring top notch rookies from last season who were not included in the set, like Tomas Tartar (Detroit Red Wings), Ryan McDonagh (New York Rangers), Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis Blues) and Jacob Markstrom (Florida Panthers). This affords collectors the tremendous opportunity to add to their 2010-11 NHL O-Pee-Chee set.



Lastly are the Team Canada Sigs where Upper Deck uses its exclusive agreement with Team Canada to provide fans with autograph cards of top players like Bobby Orr, Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Wayne Gretzky. All players featured in this set will be pictured as members of Team Canada.



“The 2011-12 NHL O-Pee-Chee set really has something for every level of collector, with a challenging base set, fun variations and exciting chase with memorabilia and autograph cards,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager. “We were able to acquire 100% of the autograph content for this product beforehand so it releases with zero redemption cards. Additionally it is a great value,” offering 36 packs per box and six cards per pack at a low price.



Upper Deck’s 2011-12 NHL O-Pee-Chee is currently available at DCS Sports Cards

New releases this week

DCS Sports Cards unveils 3 new releases this week:

2011 Topps Upate Series Baseball Cards Hobby and HTA Jumbo boxes

2011 Topps Football Factory Sets

2011-12 Upper Deck O Pee Chee Hockey cards

Order these and other cards at great prices now!

SANDY KOUFAX CONCLUDES POPULAR PRIME 9 HOBBY SHOP PROGRAM

The final PRIME 9 subject to be announced is Redemption card # 9…Sandy Koufax.

For the past 9 weeks, Topps and Major League Baseball has designated a “Prime 9 Player of the Week” to celebrate the “prime” players at every position in MLB history. Collectors holding the corresponding Prime 9 Redemption card for that week brought their cards into participating HTA stores and redeemed them for an exclusive limited edition Topps Chrome Refractor.

The cards can be found in Series 2 Hobby packs (1:18) and Jumbo packs (1:5). Each card is denoted by a Week number (1, 2, 3, etc.).

Stay tuned for another exciting hobby store promotion in conjunction with 2012 Topps Baseball Series 1!

The “PRIME 9”

Week 1 (July 19th) Johnny Bench, Catcher (redemption card #1)

Week 2 (July 26th) Albert Pujols, First Base (redemption card #2)

Week 3 (Aug. 5th) Jackie Robinson, Second Base (redemption card #3)

Week 4 (Aug. 12th) Derek Jeter, Shortstop (redemption card #4)

Week 5 (Aug. 19th) Mike Schmidt, Third Base (redemption # 5)

Week 6 (Aug. 26th) Hank Aaron, Left Field (redemption # 6)

Week 7 (Sept. 2nd) Mickey Mantle, Center Field (redemption # 7)

Week 8 (Sept. 9th) Ichiro, Left Field (redemption # 8)

Week 9 (Sept. 16th) Sandy Koufax, Pitcher (redemption # 9)

Breaking News: Panini America Inks Multi-Year Trading Card Deal with MLBPA

IRVING, Texas/NEW YORK CITY – Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced today a multi-year trading card agreement. The deal secures Panini’s presence in America’s Pastime and adds to its U.S. sports license roster, making Panini the only trading card company in the world with licenses in all four major sports.

Panini America will make its MLBPA-partnership debut with the December release of 2011 Elite Extra Edition, followed by 2011 Contenders Baseball, which will include the first Panini Autographs of All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton. The reigning American League Most Valuable Player also will appear on packaging for future Panini products.


“We’re very pleased to be working with Panini America,” said Evan Kaplan, Director, Licensing & Business Development for the Major League Baseball Players Association. ”They have consistently developed innovative products that appeal to collectors of all ages both here in America and around the world. Panini’s MLBPA-licensed products will present Major League baseball players in a unique and exciting way.”

“The relationship with the MLBPA represents the culmination of a goal that we committed to when Panini entered the U.S. market just over two years ago, that of having a licensed presence in all four of the major sports in the U.S., and to utilize Panini’s creative approach to enhance the overall experience for collectors,” said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. “We are excited to join as a partner of the MLBPA and look forward to working with the MLBPA to continue to raise the visibility of their players and engage new collectors.”

The company will formally announce the agreement this afternoon at a press conference featuring Warsop, Kaplan and Hamilton. Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for complete coverage of the event.

Panini America is the only company in the world that manufactures fully licensed trading cards and stickers for the NBA, NFL, NFL PLAYERS, NHL, NHLPA, MLBPA and FIFA World Cup. The company also owns exclusive entertainment licenses with Disney, Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson, and more than 600 global licenses with other sports and entertainment properties.

TOPPS AND THE “SAY HEY KID” BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

Topps announces it has signed a multi-year autograph deal with the legendary “Say Hey Kid”, Willie Mays.
The first offering of Mays’ Autograph will appear in the highly-anticipated 2012 Topps Baseball Series 1, which hits shelves early February. After that, collectors can expect to find the slugger’s autographed cards in products such as Topps Tribute (image attached), Gypsy Queen and much more. In addition, Topps will be issuing a variety of relic cards featuring the Hall of Famer.
The Topps and Mays relationship dates back to the beginning when Willie appeared in the company’s famed 1952 Topps Baseball set. Willie then went on to star on Topps cardboard for another 21 consecutive seasons.