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2025 Upper Deck National Hockey Card Day (Photo credit: Upper Deck)

Saturday, April 5, Is National Hockey Card Day

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Dale Bochon | Last updated Mar 25, 2025 3:30 PM ET

Upper Deck is proud to celebrate their 16th Annual National Hockey Card Day at hobby shops in Canada, the United States and around the world on Saturday, April 5.

New collectors and long-time hobbyists are invited to visit as many participating Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealers in their area to receive a free pack of Upper Deck hockey cards (one pack of cards per person, per hobby shop, while supplies last). These hobby shops are vital to the collecting community since they act as a hub for collectors to meet up and learn from experts in the field.

Upper Deck encourages friends and family to enjoy this day-long activity honouring their favourite hobby shops while also visiting new ones, since collecting can help bridge the generational gap between parents and their children with this shared interest.

“National Hockey Card Day has truly evolved into an event for collectors and families to get together and celebrate the hobby and the sport of hockey,” says Luke Crisby, owner of the Hobby Spot in Leduc, Alberta. “This is our fifth year participating in National Hockey Card Day, and it’s like Christmas for us and our customers. It’s the ‘funnest’ day of the year.”

Paul Nuygen, Senior Marketing Manager for Upper Deck says that the popularity of hockey and National Hockey Card Day is growing beyond traditional hockey markets such as Canada and the United States to the point where “shops in South Korea and Australia are participating this year.”

Collect a 66-Card Set of NHL Rookies, Superstars, Legends and NHL Mascots

Fans are encouraged to trade with their fellow collectors to complete the 66-card National Hockey Card Day set of notable players such as rookies Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Lane Hutson. Superstars such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Quinn Hughes will also be featured in the set along with legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Dominik Hasek. There will also be cards featuring Mascots from around the NHL. You can view the full checklist here.

Along with their free pack, participants can also receive a special Macklin Celebrini Rookie Moments card with a $10 purchase of Upper Deck products.

To add to the fun, select major Canadian retailers will offer free nine-card sheets to customers with no purchase necessary.

National Hockey Card Day Is Great for Collectors and Families

“This event has grown every year we’ve participated,” says Crisby. “In our first year, we had about 21 people, and around 100 people in our second. Last year we had over 300 people lined up outside our doors, and this year we’re looking forward to even more. We like to keep things fresh every National Hockey Card Day, and we have some truly special giveaways for our customers and some unique prizes we’re giving to those waiting in line on April 5.” Many of Crisby’s Hobby Spot customers on NHCD include families and people of all ages. “It’s great to see Upper Deck include Legends Cards in the National Hockey Card Day Set.”

Crisby emphasized how the Legends cards attract an older crowd of collectors and hockey fans, who often teach the younger generation about just how great players such as Gretzky, Lemieux, Mark Messier, and Patrick Roy were in their prime. Having a well-rounded set featuring Legends, Rookies, Superstars and Mascots appeals to so many people of all ages.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 5, visit Upper Deck’s website for a listing of all participating Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealers, and make sure to plan out your schedule to visit as many shops in your area as you can during the day. Upper Deck’s National Hockey Card Day is looking to be the biggest and best they’ve had in its 16-year history.