Saturday, April 13 marks the 15th anniversary of National Hockey Card Day (#NHCD). Founded by Upper Deck back in 2009, it promises to be one of the most celebrated National Hockey Card Days in the collectable holiday’s decade and a half history. 2024 seems to have special significance, especially with all of the excitement surrounding the release of Connor Bedard’s Upper Deck Young Guns rookie card earlier in the year.
Bedard fans, you’re in luck as this year’s exclusive National Hockey Card Day set from Upper Deck includes three new Bedard trading cards, two of which will be found in FREE National Hockey Card Day packs (one five-card pack per customer), and another Rookie Moments card available with a $10 purchase of Upper Deck products (all while supplies last).
Paul Nguyen, senior marketing manager at Upper Deck, spoke about how special the 30 card set for National Hockey Card Day is, “It’s truly a great way for first time collectors to enter the hobby, and it’s free. At Upper Deck, we’re expecting the 2024 version of National Hockey Card Day to be the biggest event yet and much of the hype can be attributed to the popularity of Connor Bedard.”
Bedard, McDavid, Gretzky & Ovechkin Are Some of the Cards Available
Bedard is one of 30 rookies, veterans, and legends featured in the 2024 National Hockey Card Day set, which also includes legendary names such as Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky, and many more.
Hockey fans and hockey card enthusiasts around the world can visit as many participating hobby shops to receive a free pack and collect the full set. Canadian fans can also visit select retailers for exclusive, free nine-card sheets of exclusive NHL trading cards.
Hockey Card Shops Are Gearing Up for a Busy Day on April 13
Wayne’s Sports Cards and Collectables in Edmonton’s West End is one of many hockey card shops participating in National Hockey Card Day. For owner Wayne Wagner, National Hockey Card Day is like Christmas, “National Hockey Card Day is a very special day for our customers and staff,” said Wagner. Last year we had people lining up outside our shop at 6:30 am, and by the time we opened our doors for National Hockey Card Day, there were close to 400 people lined up. All in all last year, we had close to 1,200 people come through our doors and this year, we’re expecting as big a crowd or even larger group to come visit the shop. We even have a family from as far away as the Northwest Territories coming in specifically for the event.”
National Hockey Card Day – A Great Stepping Stone for Young Collectors
The exclusive 30-card set is a great way for first-time collectors to not only collect cards of their favourite players, but also a very tangible way to start and complete a set. There’s a certain satisfaction that you get when you complete a set, and Upper Deck provides young and old collectors with the opportunity to experience the feeling of getting that final card. I remember that feeling well. In 1975-76 I was missing Harold Snepts to complete my 396 O’Pee-Chee set, and the day I got his card felt as good as the day I opened up a pack featuring Bobby Orr, Bernie Parent and Ken Dryden. That’s part of the magic of collecting.
Visit Upperdeck.com/NHCD for All the Details
Upper Deck has provided a great page on its website where you can find out which retailers in your area are participating. Plan to visit as many stores in your area as you can, where you should be able to get a free NHCD pack, while supplies last.
Related: Upper Deck Contract Extension Is Good News for Card Collectors
Don’t miss Upper Deck’s 15th annual National Hockey Card Day on Saturday, April 13. As the hobby continues to grow, there’s no doubt this is going to be a very special day for everyone who loves collecting hockey cards.
