If you’re more of a traditional card collector—especially one who remembers a vintage Canadian brand—2016-17 OPC hockey from Upper Deck might be one to keep on your radar as it makes its way to market next week.
Upper Deck owns the old O-Pee-Chee name, first used to produce sports cards exclusive to Canada decades ago. For the last ten years or so, they’ve put out a hockey set carrying the moniker. It’s a lower end product, designed for budget-minded collectors who still like a few surprises but are mostly interested in a chronicle of the league and its players heading into a new season.
Due out September 7, the product will include 32 packs per box with eight cards per pack at a retail cost of $65-75. A final checklist is available for download below.
The first thing collectors may notice about 2016-17 OPC Hockey is an increase in the already sizeable base set. You’ll need to buy a fe
w boxes to have a shot at completing one or coming close. This year, the set go
es from 600 cards to 660, but the last 110 are short printed high numbers (but not too short—you’ll find one in every other pack). You’ll find that final series holding Marquee Rookies, Season Highlights, League Leaders and Team Checklists. The Marquee Rookies will include youngsters who made their NHL debuts in the second half of last season including William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Morrisey.
The base set will include Rainbow Foil (1:4 packs) and Black Rainbow Foil (# to 100) parallels.
OPC Patches return with 100 different including players, vintage All-Star Game logos and mascots that often sell well on the secondary market. The breakdown includes:
- 2016-17 Base – Inserted 1:156
- 2016-17 Marquee Rookies/Legends – Inserted 1:835
- 2015-16 All-Star Logo – Inserted 1:1,043
- Vintage All-Star Log
os – Inserted 1:626 - Rare Vintage All-Star Logos – Inserted 1:4,176
- Mascots – Inserted 1:3,912
- Rare Mascots – Inserted 1:31,296
Each pack will also include a Retro Variations card with two, on av
erage, in each box.
Upper Deck has also created an OPC Playing Cards insert set, with four of them in each box.
The third installment of OPC V Series cards returns. Falling two per box, their design is inspired by 1930s era hockey cards.
Autographed cards won’t be plentiful. OPC Signatures fall one in every 192 packs while Team Canada signatures are twice as tough.
You can see 2016-17 OPC Hockey on eBay by clicking here.
2016-17 NHL O Pee Chee Checklist
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