The silver anniversary of SP Game Used Hockey is here, and it’s a cause for celebration among collectors and hockey fans alike. With 25 years of history in delivering high-quality, memorabilia-based hockey cards, this milestone edition carries the torch forward with gusto. Unlike Upper Deck’s other forays into sports like baseball, football, and basketball, which skated off the ice faster than a sprinter on skates, SP Game Used remains a beloved staple in the hockey world.
This year’s offering isn’t content with merely basking in past successes. The spotlight falls squarely on an intriguing chase: cards featuring relics from the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off held in February 2025. The nations — USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden — bring international rivalries to a palpable excitement that makes the pull of these cards even more exhilarating.
Collectors will find the familiar structure of the hobby box unchanged from the previous year. Each contains a single nine-card pack, serving up a mouthwatering mixture of four hits, including autographs, memorabilia, autographed memorabilia, or premium inserts, plus three base cards, Authentic Rookies, or those enticing New Grooves inserts. Rounding out the tempest of players and possibilities are two parallels of base cards, Authentic Rookies, or New Grooves.
The core set boasts 200 cards, featuring today’s NHL stars, celebrated legends, and rookies eager to become future household names. Paralleled options to hunt include Red (swagger with shine, yet unnumbered), Gold (/149), the intentional allure of Rainbow (serial-numbered to the player’s jersey number), the rare Purple (/5), and the proverbial unicorn, Green (/1).
Always the maestros of the memorabilia hustle, Upper Deck has curated an epic lineup that centers around those ice-cold relics that the brand is renowned for. Game-worn gear has been sourced from all corners of the rink: regular NHL games, playoffs, global series, stadium spectacles, the iconic Winter Classic, and now, the groundbreaking 4 Nations Face-Off.
Chasers of these tangible pieces of history will drool over Rookie Sweaters (/299), Troupe Threads (/199), Game Day Gear (/100), and the show-stopping, high-pop Rookie Jumbo Patches (/25). The pin-up level attraction Supreme Materials (/15) and Supreme Patches (/15) now include substantial snippets from the 4 Nations extravaganza, as if their size alone wasn’t enough to tempt collectors.
Fondly familiar are the Puck Relics and Net Cord cards, which present actual mementos extracted from game-used artifacts, such as nets from landmark NHL debuts and unforgettable milestone games. Meanwhile, Draft Day Marks is back with a compelling challenge: assemble the full letter patch puzzle with autographed letters from rookies to make their names — a social media brag waiting to happen.
The demand continues beyond rookies with Inked Rookie Sweaters (/99), featuring Patch parallels (/25), and veterans with Inked Sweaters, a hard find at 1:100 packs, also have Patch parallels (/25). Adding a ribbon of excitement are Banner cards, offering panels from ceremonious events like the Draft Days, Stanley Cup showdowns, Winter Classics, and — for those with a penchant for exclusivity — autographed variations.
The New Grooves insert set returns, arrestingly featuring rookies with Red (/499), Gold (/149), Rainbow (/99), Purple (/5), and Green (/1) parallels. Step aside for the new numbered NHL Masters (/299) insert set, ushering in Jersey and Patch versions that accommodate rookies alongside the titans of yesteryear and today.
As collectors prepare to plunder, they can expect each hobby box to yield nine cards, meticulously packed with four artifacts of fandom — whether autographs, memorabilia, or premium inserts — two parallel showcases, and three base, Authentic Rookies, or New Grooves inserts. This set ensures a brilliant continuation, seamlessly bridging the past with the present as fans cry out for vibrant heroes on cards.
In typical fashion, anticipation mounts as the release date is poised for January 2026, although in card collecting, as in life, things are subject to change. Each box teases the promise of four autographs, memorabilia cards, or premium inserts, with two parallels to delight the persistent hunter, completed by a trifecta of base set, rookies, or New Grooves drops.
SP Game Used Hockey’s 25th anniversary is more than a collection of cardboard treasures; it’s a celebration of a tradition that has kept collectors on their toes and their hearts in the game. With its rich tapestry of offerings, this set invites you to lace up those skates, embrace the cold, and brace yourself for the adventures waiting within each pack. Step onto the ice, where myth meets reality, and history awaits discovery with every card.
