A New Look For Hockey Heroes

Hockey Heroes has become an automatic expectation with Upper Deck’s NHL release each year, the problem is that besides a few minor cosmetic alterations you cannot differentiate the insert set from year to year. Upper Deck designers have decided to put an end to this copy and paste process and redesign the set entirely.

For reference, here are cards from the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 Hockey Heroes sets.

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

We are now going to see a set that will focus on players from the past, an homage to “the old-school”. In the 2011-12 Series One release we will see a 12-player checklist from the  1950s, 2011-12 Series Two will include 12 players from the 1960s, 2012-13 Series One will bring us 12 players from the 1970s and 2012-13 Series Two will bring us 12 players from the 1980s. 

 Additionally, with the 2011-12 Series One in Hockey Heroes insert 10 of the 12 cards on the checklist will include an on-card autographed parallel of the base insert card #/15. Does a hockey collector need more? A 13^th card has been added to the checklist, a painted art card (not sure if this is really painted or printed) of Howe, Bathgate and Hull has been included in to packs and will also include an on-card triple autograph parallel version #/10.

The cards will also be numbered sequentially from set to set to allow collectors to build a complete set. The 1950s set will be numbered HH1-HH12, the 1960s set from Series Two will be numbered HH13-HH25 and so on for the 1970s and 1980s sets. Apparently the painted card is not considered part of the base insert set.