Upper Deck Releases NHL® First Peoples Rookie Cards
The limited-edition cards honor and celebrate Indigenous hockey players who never
had a licensed trading card
CARLSBAD, CA (January 13, 2023) – Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment
collectibles, today released new Upper Deck NHL® First Peoples Rookie Cards to celebrate
Canadian Indigenous hockey players who never before had a licensed NHL trading card.
Upper Deck worked closely with the players and their families, as well as the Indigenous
community, to bring these cards to life and make this set as authentic as possible.
To ensure these cards get in the hands of fans who will truly appreciate these collectors
items, Upper Deck implemented a thoughtful distribution strategy. This approach
includes distributing the packs at Indigenous hockey camps, 3 Nolan Hockey Camp
and Hockey Indigenous Development Camp, as well as at the Indigenous-owned Certified
Diamond Dealer hobby shop, First Row Collectibles. The packs will also be distributed
at games where Indigenous NHL Alumni teams play in different Indigenous communities
in St. Paul, Alberta and Tallcree First Nation, Alberta on January 13 and January
15. Additionally, fans will receive packs at the Mushkegowuk Cup on February 17-19,
an annual minor hockey tournament that brings together First Nations teams and fans,
as well as the Little Native Hockey League Tournament on March 13-18.
“It was paramount for us to do this right and involve the Indigenous community from
the inception of the idea through distribution,” said Upper Deck President Jason
Masherah. “We’re thrilled to give these iconic Indigenous players the recognition
they deserve and get the cards in the hands of excited community members.”
The First Peoples Rookie Card set was designed by an Indigenous artist from the
Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Jacob Alexis, and the card backs were written by Indigenous
card collector Naim Cardinal, who is a Cree and member of Tallcree First Nation.
Upper Deck also worked with a board of mostly Indigenous community members for guidance
to properly celebrate these communities.
“I’m honored to work with Upper Deck to help shine a spotlight on Indigenous hockey
legends and be a part of bringing these cards to life,” said Cardinal. “These former
players have earned their names and images on official trading cards, and it’s great
to see both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people honor them as athletes in a real
way.”
The pack of eight cards features Dan Frawley from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Johnny
Harms from the Chicago Blackhawks, Danny Hodgson from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Victor
Mercredi from the Atlanta Flames, Rocky Trottier from the New Jersey Devils, William
LeCaine from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ted Nolan from the Detroit Red Wings, and
Jason Simon from the Phoenix Coyotes. There will be signing events with Frawley
in Belleville, Ontario and Hodgson in Fort McMurray, Alberta on January 21st to
further engage fans.
Fans can learn more NHL® First People’s Rookie cards and upcoming distribution locations
on UpperDeckBlog.com.
About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia,
collectibles, games and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors
crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity,
and innovation and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorites
with unique and authenticated sports and entertainment product offerings, as well
as digital marketplaces like ePack and Collect Forever. The company’s team of collectors
pride themselves on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for
sports and entertainment’s most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver
excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop
memorable moments for collectors of all kinds.
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