Carlsbad, CA, Thursday May 27, 2010
With the Stanley Cup Finals set to begin on Saturday evening between the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks, the Upper Deck Company has just released its latest NHL-licensed trading card set: 2009-10 Be A Player Hockey. The 300-card regular set features the most sought-after players in the NHL and guarantees one autograph card in every pack, on average!



�This year�s Be A Player Hockey is jam-packed with quality cards, so collectors are going to love cracking packs and making great pulls,� said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck�s hockey brand manager. �There are actually dual-signed cards falling at a rate of one per hobby box, on average, so that�s another chase element that will keep hockey fans coming back for more.�



In addition to highlighting all the top rookies from this season�s freshmen class including John Tavares, Matt Duchene, James van Riemsdyk (who is competing this weekend), Jonas Gustavsson, Evander Kane, Logan Couture and Victor Hedman, Be A Player Hockey boasts several different opportunities for varying degrees of autograph pulls. For example, Be A Player �Autograph Duals� fall at a rate of one in every eight packs; �Trios (1:24 packs); and there are new autographed variations (numbered to 10) of the regular base cards.



Another sought-after element of the Be A Player lineup is its three-tiered Rookie Jersey Cards: the most common version is numbered to 250; the autographed Rookie Jersey Cards are numbered to 50; and the rare �Rookie Patches� jersey cards are numbered to 15. Additional insert cards include �Sidelines� (1:4 packs); �Goalies Unmasked� (numbered to 499); and �Meet the Rookies� (also numbered to 499)



The product, which boasts five cards per pack and eight packs per box, is currently on store shelves.





About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company. For more information on Upper Deck and its products please visit www.upperdeck.com.