To help shine a light on the Indigenous community and honor iconic Indigenous players, Upper Deck created a limited-edition set featuring Indigenous hockey players who never had an NHL® licensed trading card before. The goal was to create a set that was for the community, by the community. So it was important that from the start, Upper Deck worked with the Indigenous community to ensure that the set properly celebrated the players and the community as a whole.
To make the cards as authentic as possible, the 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.
Where Will The Cards Be Distributed
To ensure these cards get in the hand of fans who will truly appreciate these collectors items, Upper Deck will be distributing them to:
- Indigenous Hockey Camps
- Indigenous-owned Hobby Shop
- Indigenous Hockey Tournaments
- Mushkegowuk Cup – February 17-19
- Little Native Hockey League Tournament – March 13-18 (There will be athlete signings there. See below for more information)
- NEW! Yukon First Nation Hockey Tournament – March 23-26
Free Athlete Signings
There will be free player signings at Certified Diamond Dealer shops. The athletes will sign 5×7 versions of their cards.
- NEW! Jason Simon and Dan Frawley will be signing 5×7 versions of their cards at the Little Native Hockey League Tournament on Sunday, March 12 from 6:30pm-7:30pm.
- Danny Hodgson will be signing at All In Sports Den in Fort McMurray, AB on Saturday, January 21 from 12-1pm
- Dan Frawley will be signing at MBA Sports in Belleville ON on Saturday, February 11 from 11am-12pm
Checklist
- Dan Frawley – Pittsburgh Penguins
- Johnny Harms – Chicago Blackhawks
- Danny Hodgson – Toronto Maple Leafs
- Victor Mercredi – Atlanta Flames
- Rocky Trottier – New Jersey Devils
- William LeCaine – Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ted Nolan – Detroit Red Wings
- Jason Simon – Phoenix Coyotes
