Carlsbad, CA, Tuesday June 15, 2010
The 2010 Stanley Cup now rests with the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the coveted trophy for the first time since 1961. And fast on the heels of the exciting Stanley Cup battle between Chicago and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Upper Deck Company is pleased to release its latest sports card product: 2009-10 SP Authentic Hockey. The 200-card regular set features the most sought-after rookies in the league and guarantees at least three awesome autographs in every box. The product, which boasts five cards per pack and 24 packs per box, lands on store shelves tomorrow.

“We’re very proud of this year’s SP Authentic release,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s hockey brand manager. “We had a terrific 2009-10 campaign and a rookie class that rivaled some of the greatest to ever enter the NHL. This product includes the biggest names in hockey, past and present, and the autographed inserts will keep collectors cracking packs for months.”

Incredible only begins to describe the number of autographed cards in SP Authentic Hockey. The multi-tiered “Sign of the Times” insert kicks things off with a single-signed version that has a tremendous heritage. The Sign of the Times lineup then parlays to “Duals,” some of which are Mystery Redemptions; “Trios” (numbered to 25); “Quads” (numbered to 10); and the super-rare “Fives,” “Sixes,” “Sevens” and “Eights.” The “Autographed Future Watch” rookies are numbered to 999, while the special “Prestigious Pairings” collection – sporting combos like Joe Thornton/Dany Heatley, Vincent Lecavalier/Steven Stamkos and Jarome Iginla/Eric Staal – are all numbered to 100.

If autographed cards drive your collection, then SP Authentic’s highly coveted autographed “Future Watch Patch” inserts (numbered to 100) of top rookies like Tavares, Duchene, van Riemsdyk, Hedman and Kane will really start to rev your engines. Likewise, the “Rookie Review” autographed patch cards, also numbered to 100, will pack plenty of excitement for collectors seeking coveted superstar patch cards. In a tribute to the past, SP Authentic also boasts a rare lineup of 20 “Immortal Inks” autographed cards (each numbered to 10) that include such standouts as Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, Phil Esposito, Don Cherry, Tony Esposito, Cam Neely, Mark Messier, Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky.




About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company. For more information on Upper Deck and its products please visit www.upperdeck.com.