Young fans often see their favourite hockey players as superheroes. Well, now Upper Deck is making it a reality. Upper Deck and DC Comics have teamed up for the 2025 NHL Draft and released the 2025 DC Fanimation Crossover set on its e-Pack platform, combining DC characters with five top NHL prospects.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings – Final Consensus Picks
The five athletes featured on five cards have been reimagined in comic book-style original art pieces inspired by various DC superheroes. The five players in the set include:
- Matthew Schaefer, who pays homage to Superman
- Michael Misa in a salute to Batman
- James Hagens as The Flash
- Porter Martone portraying the Green Lantern
- Caleb Desnoyers, who appears as Nightwing.
It’s the first of four total sets that will be released, and is another unique opportunity from Upper Deck for collectors to celebrate the Summer of “Superman”. The cards are $5.99 per pack, one card per pack, available through July 7 at 8:59 a.m. ET.
Look for More Upper Deck/DC Super Hero Card Releases This Summer
These five cards featuring the top NHL Draft prospects are the first of four Crossover sets to be released throughout 2025. The second set of cards in the series, featuring Upper Deck exclusive spokespeople Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid, will be available mid-July with designs inspired by DC Studios’ new film “Superman”. The film is set to be released in theaters and IMAX® on July 11 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
It’s fitting that both Gretzky and McDavid will have new cards released around the time Superman premieres. Both players, at times, have seemed to have superhuman talents; Gretzky, with his intelligence and vision on the ice and McDavid, with his incredible speed and quick hands, have left fans speechless.
“Far too often, the sports and entertainment worlds are thought of as separate paths that collectors can never cross. We wanted to bring fans together by reviving an iconic insert to spotlight some incredible Upper Deck athletes whose lives will change on draft day,” said Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck. “While Fanimation cards have been sought after for decades, combining their unique art style with future NHL stars and the DC Universe is an innovation that collectors have never seen before.”
Get Your Upper Deck/DC Fanimation NHL Prospect Cards Before July 7
Don’t miss out on collecting these incredibly unique cards. They don’t just combine the worlds of hockey and superheroes; they’re pieces of art that you’ll be proud to display.
Fans can purchase 2025 DC Fanimation Crossover cards on Upper Deck’s e-Pack platform. The cards will be offered digitally, then printed and available to ship in 8-10 weeks. Each pack contains one of five Base Set cards of the top draft prospects, with rare Silver, Gold, and hard-signed Autograph Parallels that will fall as a bonus 2nd card. Collect all the sets to redeem an exciting Image Variant Achievement card that will be revealed after the draft. Packs of 2025 DC x Fanimation Crossover will only be available in the store until July 7. Celebrate the next generation of hockey prospects as you’ve never seen them before with a pack of the 2025 DC x Fanimation Crossover drop today.
Related: Upper Deck Signs Top North American Prospects Before 2025 NHL Draft
Collectors can also visit the Upper Deck Store to find autographed prints, pucks, and jerseys from Schaefer, Misa and Hagens, as well as DC trading cards. Following each player’s official NHL debut, collectors will also find new trading cards and additional memorabilia releases.
