2009-10 UD McDonald's Hockey Cards

The fall/winter season just isn't complete without a visit to McDonald's for some Upper Deck hockey cards. They appeared at restaurants last week and I've made it there twice in the past few days. One day it was a McFlurry (although I asked for a Blizzard) and three packs of cards... the next time it was another McFlurry (this time I was more careful with my order) and another three packs of cards. As usual, packs are 99 cents and you are limted to three packs per item, although this isn't a hard and fast rule depending on the restaurant which you go to.



As usual, the cards are eye-catching. The set is not large and is focused on stars and players on Canadian teams. The cards have a layered-feel and are sure to please the kids and the more grown-up collectors.

In my six packs, I crushed the odds. I received 2 checklist cards (1:4 packs) and was lucky enough to receive a Goaltending Greats card of Marc-Andre Fleury (1:10 packs) and a Martin Brodeur In The Spotlight card (1:60 packs)



No doubt I'll buy a few more McFlurry's over the next few weeks. How can I not when it's a cheap and easy way to have fun with the hobby.

1972 - The Year In Hockey Review

"1972 - The Year In Hockey" from In The Game (Six packs)

ITG brings to the table "1972 – The Year In Hockey". This is the year that collectors selected in a poll carried out earlier this year by the company. The 200-base card set includes two retro checklist cards and features players from the NHL, the WHA and the Summit Series. Part of the base card set is a ten-card subset featuring the MVPs from each game of that legendary series and the tournament MVPs from each country. Also included in this set are cut signatures from celebrities and important people who thrived in 1972 such as Pierre Trudeau and Al Pacino.

The base cards bring a collector straight back to the 1970's. The haircuts, the moustaches, and even the font for the text. One of the best things about this set is the chance for new collectors to learn about hockey from a different era. The average collector will know many players on the base cards... but a lot of these players are unknowns to the average fan of today.



There are approximately 150 autographs (all hard-signed) in this set and numerous memorabilia cards as well. In The Game also brings back the popular Masked Men insert series as well as the He Shoots He Scores points redemption program which allow collectors to receive a special memorabilia card for every 200 points collected. I was fortunate enough to pull two hard-signed autographs and one Masked Men card in my six packs. Do I know anything about these players? No. Will I in a few minutes? Most definitely.



"1972 - The Year In Hockey" - A must buy! 18 packs per box with a solid chance at 3 autos and 1 jersey card per box... not to mention the hockey education that awaits.

Fleer Ultra 2009-10 Review

Fleer Ultra 2009-10 Hockey from Upper Deck (Two packs)

Yes, Upper Deck seems to own everything these days... even the time honoured O-Pee-Chee. But they have on great eye for design, especially for this years Fleer Ultra.

The base cards have a very sharp design as do the rookie cards which are inserted one in every four packs. As with products which appear early in the year, the rookie card crop is rarely special, although there is an opportunity for rookie redemptions which will no doubt feature players such as John Tavares, Cody Hodgson, and Victor Hedman.



Inserted within each pack is a gold medallion card which is a coloured variation of the base card. I was also lucky enough to pull a Ultra Uniformity jersey card of Marek Svatos of the Colorado Avalanche. Although the odds are one in every twelve packs, I was lucky enough to pull one in my two packs.



Overall, Fleer Ultra is an inexpensive product with a solid design and good player selection. The price range is at the high-end of the low-end market but I definitely enjoy it more than UD Victory or UD MVP.