For hockey collectors everywhere, the arrival of the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey set can only be described as a long-awaited ecstasy ride, akin to finding an elusive four-leaf clover on St. Patrick’s Day. This release is the cherry on top of the year’s trio of coveted flagship hockey sets, promising to sprinkle magic on the collections of all who delve into its hockey card offerings. The set is more than just a bookend; it’s an expansive patchwork quilt of hockey greatness.
The set addresses the hunger of collectors with its meaty offering of 750 cards, a number as satisfying as a post-game feast. With Series 1 and Series 2 already proving their worth, the Extended Series takes the puck and runs with it, or perhaps more fittingly, skates with it across an iced over arena. Each hobby box is akin to a surprise-packed advent calendar and promises excitement with a plethora of inserts and parallels in just about every pack.
A closer examination of this abundant checklist reveals that the Extended Series isn’t merely showing up to play—it’s here to win. The 250 new cards the series introduces are split with precision. First, there are the seasoned pros making their appearance in new uniforms or teams—as fresh and exciting as the snowfall on a game day morning. They offer something new for even the most well-versed hockey aficionado. The crescendo, however, is undoubtedly the 50-card subset spotlighting the revered Young Guns and 1st Round Rookies. These gems are akin to the golden tickets we all seek, emerging roughly every other pack and igniting the thrill of the hunt.
Then, there’s the parallel cards—the unicorns of the collecting universe. Each parallel adds a dash of exclusivity and rarity, brushing the collection canvas with shades of excitement. With odds that would make even the most seasoned poker player pause, collectors brace themselves for the chase. The delightful Outburst cards simmer with rarity (1:30 packs in Hobby, even crazier odds in Blaster), complemented by Clear Cut wonders (1:96 packs) and sprinkled with Deluxe, Exclusives, the intensely scarce Outburst Red, and High Gloss cards, culminating with the shimmering Outburst Gold, a singular spectacle with only one known existence.
The marvel doesn’t stop with the parallels, though. Inserts return from past series like long-lost friends at a reunion, bringing with them a celebration of beloved features. Canvas cards once again give us their textured brilliance, making a splash four times per hobby box with subsets like Young Guns, Legends, and NHL All-Stars. For taste breakers wanting something different, Black and White parallels wait quietly behind the curtain along with those ghostly Printing Plates.
The allure of the revered Dazzlers is irresistible; they bedazzle with three variants—common Blue, elusive Pink, and the mystical one-of-a-kind Printing Plates. Blaster boxes get their exclusive piece of the action too, brightly wrapping their cards in Green Dazzlers, like a rarity waiting to be plucked.
As if all this wasn’t enough, this series introduces something that will have collectors orbiting the release like moths to a flame—Oracles. A beguiling mystical twist inspired by tarot decks, these Oracles cards range in tiers of challenge: SP, SSP, to the fantastically rare, enticing collectors to complete their magic acts with a full deck.
This Extended Series also resurrects classics, traveling back in time with hits from Upper Deck’s rich and storied history, each card a time capsule wrapped in plastic. Familiar faces return: Pros and Prospects, Beehive, UD3 alongside its glimmering Gold parallel, and the fan-favored Upper Deck Encore. Trilogy Rookie Premiere cards strut with confidence, cleaned and polished, available in Common, Uncommon, and Rare forms. Triple Dimensions Reflections make their presence known, embellished with colored variants like Ruby, Amethyst, Emerald, Gold, and the Cinderella-like Sapphire.
Silver Skates, in all their regal glide, boast of base cards and limited Gold versions, sweetening the pot with an air of elegance and cherished rarity.
For those keen on exploring what each hobby box unveils, the configuration promises a bounty of cards per pack and per box, with hobby box breakdowns detailing an opulent array of inserts and lamps to the Aladdin’s cave of special finds. Every card pulled is a potential crown jewel, a cherished keeper in a world where collecting is as close to a noble pursuit as any modern treasure hunt can get.
Overall, whether you are a budding newcomer taking your first step onto the ice of card collecting or a seasoned player with shoeboxes stacked high with history, the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series offers a kaleidoscope of opportunity. It is both a reflection of the past and a glimpse into the future, leaving collectors to sit back, admire their spread of cards, and await the next time they’ll feel that unmistakable thrill of opening another pack.