A new season will be here when it hits store shelves but Upper Deck puts the finishing touches on last season with 2015-16 The Cup Hockey. We now know a little more about what the annual high-end brand will offer.
The Cup’s rookie autographs are among the most sought after cards of the year and collectors will be look
ing to nab Connor McDavid and some of the other young talent from a quality rookie crop.
A full 2015-16 The Cup hockey checklist is available for download below.
2015-16 The Cup Basics
2015-16 The Cup had a release date of October 26 but that was pushed back to early December (yes, it’s still a 2015-16 release). The one pack tin boxes will have six cards. Each box will feature two Autographed Patch cards, including one rookie. Collectors also can expect to pull an Autographed Patch Rookie card and another Autographed Patch card.
Base Set
Base cards in The Cup will be num
bered to 249 and will have 1/1 parallels in Bla
ck Foil and Gold Spectrum foil. Some players also will have 1/1 NHL shield parallels, plus autographs and memorabilia numbered to 8 or fewer.
The Autographed Rookie Patches will be issued in two levels and will be numbered at 99 or 249. These cards will have variations in gold foil patches (numbered to 24 or 12), or red foil (numbered to 8 or 4).
Autographs and Relics
Autographs and memorabilia cards, as always, are 
the main focus of The Cup and Upper Deck will work its Exquisite brand into the mix. For example, Exquisite Endorsement relics will be numbered to 50 or less, while Exquisite Collection Rookie Auto Patches and Exquisite Rookie Auto Shields will feature signatures combined with generous swatches of memorabilia. The Rook
ie Auto patch cards will be numbered to the featured player’s uniform number, while the Auto Shield will be a 1/1 card.
Signature Patches will be numbered to 99 for rookies and veterans, while some veteran cards will be numbered to 25. A nice variation will be Dual Signature Patches, which will be numbered to 35 or fewer.
Returning this year will be Limited Logos, Emblems of Endorseme
nts and Enshrinements. The Limited Logo cards will be will be unsigned but will have three levels for collectors to chase, including game-worn patches from rookies like McDavid.
Emblems of Endorsements and Enshrinements will be numbered to 15 and 25, respectively. Enshrinements will feature autographs 
on an acetate front that Upper Deck calls a “shimmering” surface. Also returning for this year’s lineup is Honorable Numbers, with a hand-numbered card that matches the uniform number of the player.
Diving back a decade, Rookie Tribute cards will provide a class throwback design and a limited print run (numbered to 10). Notable Nameplates will add a personal touch to those insert cards with a full letter patch on each card. Property Of … cards will feature 1/1 nameplates of selected NHL stars.
2015-16 The Cup will include booklet cards and new to the lineup this year are Monumental Stick and Autographed Monumental Stick booklets, numbered to 5. Autographed Monumental Rookie Patch booklets will be numbered to 6 and will feature large swatches and an autograph.
Look for more big-name autographs in Program of Excellence (numbered to 5), NHL Glory (10), Brilliance, Championship Etchings and Signature Renditions.
The 6-Way Booklet Relics Spectrum will be numbered to 12 and will feature swatches from six different players. Some collectors will pull booklets that have up to 12 signatures on them.
Finally, The Show series makes its debut, featuring cards of some of the world’s top athletes. McDavid is expected to be in the set, and since The Show is inspired by Upper Deck Authenticated, it’s only fitting that one of the big stars from UDA is part of the set — Michael Jordan.
2015-16 Upper Deck The Cup Checklist
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