Upper Deck Young Guns: The Hockey Rookie Card Guide

2026-27 Upper Deck Series 1 hockey hobby box

If you collect hockey cards, you have heard of Young Guns. They are Upper Deck’s rookie cards, and for most players they are the rookie card collectors chase. Here is what makes them special, the most famous ones, and what to look for when you buy.

What Is a Young Guns Card?

Young Guns are the rookie cards in Upper Deck’s flagship hockey set. Each season the set comes in Series One, Series Two and an Extended release, and each one has its own group of Young Guns for the players who made their NHL debut that year. Because they come from the main set that almost every collector opens, Young Guns are the most recognised hockey rookie cards.

A Short History

Young Guns started with Upper Deck’s first hockey set in 1990-91, when rookies like Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov headlined the subset. The name went away for a few years in the early ’90s and came back later in the decade, and it has been the centrepiece of Upper Deck hockey ever since.

How Rare Are They?

Young Guns are short printed compared with the base cards. In a 2026-27 Upper Deck Series One hobby box (12 packs of 12 cards), you get about six Young Guns on average. The 250-card Series One set has 198 veterans, 49 Young Guns and 3 checklists.

On top of the regular Young Guns, there are parallels that are much harder to pull:

  • UD Exclusives: numbered to 100
  • High Gloss: numbered to 10
  • Outburst: Clear Cut parallels in Silver, Red /25 and a Gold 1/1
  • Deluxe: numbered to 250
  • UD Canvas: a separate Canvas Young Guns insert with its own rookie checklist

The Most Famous Young Guns

  • 2005-06 Sidney Crosby #201: the modern hockey rookie card everyone knows
  • 2005-06 Alex Ovechkin #443: from the same year as Crosby, now one of the most valuable Young Guns
  • 2013-14 Nathan MacKinnon #238
  • 2014-15 Leon Draisaitl #223
  • 2015-16 Connor McDavid #201: the biggest Young Guns of the last decade
  • 2016-17 Auston Matthews #201
  • 2019-20 Jack Hughes #201
  • 2023-24 Connor Bedard #451: a Series Two card, since his debut came later in the release schedule
  • 2024-25 Macklin Celebrini #451: also a Series Two card

Quick tip: #201 is often the first Young Guns in Series One, and Upper Deck usually saves it for the top rookie in that release.

2026-27 Young Guns to Watch

2026-27 Upper Deck Series One brings 49 new Young Guns. Early names collectors are chasing include Matthew Schaefer, James Hagens, Anton Frondell, Porter Martone, Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas. Rip a box yourself, or pick up singles once the hits come out.

Hockey cards and boxes at Card Tings

What to Look for When You Buy

  • Centering: Young Guns borders show off-centre cuts easily, and centering is the first thing graders look at.
  • Edges and corners: check for chipping and soft corners, especially on darker designs.
  • Graded or raw: a PSA 10 Young Guns can sell for many times a raw copy. If you own a sharp one, read how to submit cards to PSA from Canada.
  • Protect it: put it in a penny sleeve and toploader right after you pull it.

Browse all our hockey cards and sealed boxes, or sell us your Young Guns.

2025-26 Young Guns to Watch

2025-26 Upper Deck Series One was released on October 15, 2025, and Series Two followed on March 4, 2026. These are some of the Young Guns collectors chased most.

Series One

  • Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens (#205)
  • Jimmy Snuggerud, St. Louis Blues (#207)
  • Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals (#238)
  • Zayne Parekh, Calgary Flames (#236)
  • Sam Rinzel, Chicago Blackhawks (#248)

Series Two

  • Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders (#451), the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft
  • Michael Misa, San Jose Sharks
  • Easton Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Zeev Buium and Braeden Cootes, Vancouver Canucks
  • Ben Kindel, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Brady Martin, Nashville Predators

When Does the Next Young Guns Release?

Upper Deck Series One usually arrives in the fall, a few weeks into the NHL season, with Series Two in late winter and Extended Series in the summer. Each one adds a new wave of Young Guns rookies.

Young Guns Parallels and Variations

  • Exclusives: numbered /100 parallels
  • High Gloss: numbered /10
  • Clear Cut: acetate Young Guns, inserted in Series packs
  • Canvas: textured canvas version of the Young Guns

Read numbered cards and parallels explained for how print runs affect value.

Young Guns FAQ

Are Young Guns real rookie cards? Yes. Young Guns are Upper Deck’s flagship rookie cards and are the most collected hockey rookies.

Should I grade my Young Guns? For top rookies in clean condition, a PSA 10 often sells for well above raw copies. Check centring and corners first, then read how to submit to PSA from Canada.

Where can I buy Young Guns in Canada? Browse our hockey cards, including graded Young Guns.

Buy Sports Cards Online in Canada

Card Tings is a Canadian shop where you can buy sports cards online, from Young Guns rookies to graded cards and PSA slabs. We also carry graded Pokémon slabs. Every order ships tracked across Canada, the US and worldwide.

Collecting hockey cards in BC? See our guide to buying sports cards in Vancouver, including Canucks rookies.

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