Despite his team’s well documented playoff failures, one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers is building a career portfolio that will undoubtedly end with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. An explosive scorer for the Washington Capitals, the only NHL team he’s ever known, Alex Ovechkin rookie cards remain among the most valuable and popular of any active player.
In his home country of Russia, Ovechkin was a hockey card collector himself. As a youngster, he stashed away cards of his idol, Mario LeMieux. It’s only fitting he’s following in LeMieux’s footsteps as one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen.
Growing Up A Hockey Phenom
Ovechkin was born in Moscow in 1985 and as a teenager, helped Russia win the Gold medal in the 2003 World Junior Championship.
Ovechkin originated from some serious bloodlines. His mother was a two time Olympic gold medalist in basketball. His father was an outstanding soccer player.
The Washington Capitals took notice of the young phenom and drafted him as the top overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Fans would have to wait a year to see him on North American ice, though, because of the lockout. After spending one final year with the Moscow Dynamo, he proved well worth the wait for the Caps, fans and collectors. Ovechkin picked up the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year when he finished third in scoring.
It was just a sign of things to come.
A three-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, Ovechkin has led the league in scoring six times as of this moment.
His Rookie Cards Have Staying Power
Ovechkin could leave the NHL tomorrow and still have established himself as one of the most dominant forces to ever play the game. He’s already been named one of the top 100 players in NHL history and his rookie cards aren’t losing value anytime soon. However, most (not all) are probably less expensive than you might think.
Autographed 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup cards with three-color patches numbered to 99 have proven to be the most valuable Ovechkin rookie cards with sales often topping $5,000 or more. However, most of his higher end first year issues–even top-grade examples–are less than $1,000.
Numbered to 999, Ovechkin’s 2005-06 Upper Deck SP Authentic Future Watch is another popular issue that carries his autograph with a posed photo that shows his youth. These often sell for only around $500 U.S. even in BGS 9.5 holders.
Of course, hockey card collectors always gravitate toward the annual Young Gu
ns inserts and Ovechkin’s ’05-06 card is a respected, but budget-oriented option at just a few hundred dollars for all but the highest graded examples.
His SPx rookie card offers a jersey patch and an autograph, albeit on a sticker, which has kept selling prices in check despite a population of just 499 copies.
There are numerous non-autographed Ovechkin rookie cards available for less than what it costs to fill your gas tank. Since he’s still making history, though, the current list of his 50 hottest rookie cards on eBay is definitely one to bookmark as collectors gravitate toward the best options for latching onto the first cardboard of one of the NHL’s all-time greats. Check it out below.
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