The NHL is back in full swing, and the NHL’s trading card partner is ready to unveil the first autograph/relic-centered product of the season.
2015-16 Upper Deck Artifacts will be released Wednesday, and while it’s a little leaner this year in terms of packs per hobby box — eight instead of ten — Upper Deck notes that this year’s product still contains thre
e autograph or memorabilia cards. Also expect to pull a rookie redemption card, one card numbered to 99 or less, and three numbered to 999 or less.
A final, full checklist is below.
A hobby box of Artifacts will consist of eight packs per box and four cards per pack; presales have seen the price hover from $85 to the mid- to upper $90 range.
The base set will have 180 cards. This includes 100 “regular” cards, with an additional 30 stars (numbered to 999), 30 legends (499) and 20 rookie cards (999). An additional 40 cards will be rookie redemptions, with the final 10 designated as “wild cards.”
There will be parallels, too — Ruby (numbered to 399), Emerald (99), Sapphire (85), Gold Spectrum (25) and Black (5). The Black rookie parallels will be signed.
The expanded rookie redemption program will include a full run of parallels, autographs and memorabilia variations for the five top 2015-16 rookies. 
That could include promising rookies like 2015 top overall pick Connor McDavid (Oilers) and No. 2 draft choice Jack Eichel (Sabres).
Upper Deck notes that on average, seven of every 10 hobby boxes will include a card featuring a patch, strap, stick, tag, six-swatch jersey or a premium autograph.
The newest wrinkle to Artifacts will be the Honoured Members inserts. Upper Deck plans a three-year run for this subset, which will feature up to 100 hockey Hall of Famers. The cards will be thick (140-point stock) and will be printed on an acetate with silver spectrum deco foil. The cards will be numbered to 27 or less for autographs and relics, and to 5 or less for cut signatures. Signatures will include Brett Hull, Bobby Hull, Bobby Orr, Grant Fuhr, Mike Bossy and Patrick Roy. Cut signatures will feature Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Jacques Plante and Si
d Abel.
Another new insert will be Lord Stanley’s Legacy, which will showcase stars like Bobby Hull, Mario Lem
ieux, Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier and Sidney Crosby.
One Year Rookie Gamers is also new and will offer collectors jersey cards from a player’s first season in the NHL. Parallels will feature patch, strap and tag cards.
Returning as memorabilia-heavy inserts will be Stick-to-Stick, Frozen Artifacts, Tundra Tandems, Tundra Trios and Tundra Sixes.
Treasured Swatches Premium relics will be numbered to 12, and there will be autographed buybacks numbered to 10 or less.
You can see 2015-16 Artifacts hockey on eBay here.
2015-16 NHL Artifacts Checklist
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