By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

It’s now America’s turn to celebrate National Hockey Card Day.

The popular event from Upper Deck takes place Saturday in the United States with dozens of cards shops around the country taking part in the promotion.

To see a list of participating stories, click here.

Collectors can get a free pack of cards just by showing up. Packs include five cards from the 16-card set. But the only way to get the final card is to make a purchase.

Upper Deck sent packs to several other locations, including outlets participating in Try Hockey for Free Day. Also, fans attending the New York Islanders home game against the New Jersey Devils will receive a free pack. On Sunday, those attending the Dallas Stars home game will also get packs while supplies last.

Some collectors could pull autograph cards, but the odds are difficult. Autograph cards include Brendan Smith, Chris Kreider and Alex Ovechkin.

If you don’t have a participating hobby shop near you, enter a drawing to get free packs. Check out Upper Deck’s site for more information.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Hockey. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

If the NHL lockout got you down and you stopped collecting cards, perhaps today is a good day to get back in the hobby.

It’s National Hockey Card Day in Canada (don’t worry Americans, your day is next week). In celebration, Upper Deck is giving away free packs of cards at participating hobby shops across the country.

The set consists of 16 cards from current and former members of Team Canada such as Sidney Crosby and Martin Brodeur. Fans can also head to Toys “R” Us or London Drugs to get one of five oversize cards.

Related post: National Hockey Card Day returns to Canada 

Events are held throughout Canada celebrating hockey and collecting where former NHL stars are on hand this weekend. Upper Deck is giving away packs at the Hockey Hall of Fame to visitors with paid admission while supplies last and at the Richmond Celebrate Hockey Day event in Western Canada.

Autographs of Jaden Schwartz, Dany Heatley and Bobby Orr are randomly inserted into packs.

To see a complete list of participating stores, click here.

If you do not have a store within 30 miles of where you live, Upper Deck is giving customers the opportunity to get packs. You can email UpperDeckMarketing@upperdeck.com for a chance to win. Here’s the information from Upper Deck’s website:

Email Subject Line: 2013 NHCD Canadian Free Pack Request

Email Body: Please include your full name, address, city, province, postal code and phone number and one (1) sentence as to why you would like someone to open up a trading card store in your hometown. Please double check your shipping information in particular because if the address is not correct, you won’t receive your pack!

Upper Deck will work with our hobby partners to provide at least one pack, per household while supplies last. Upper Deck is not responsible for lost mail. Please be patient for delivery. Emails must be received by Monday, February 11 at 11:00 a.m.

Did you get to any of these events? Let us know.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Hockey. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

National Hockey Card Day is coming back in 2013.

NHC will be held on Feb. 9 in Canada and Feb. 16 in United States, Upper Deck announced Thursday.

The event has been held for the last several years as way for Upper Deck to get customers into hobby shops. UD included the promotion in the U.S. for the first time in 2012.

With an NHL lockout putting a shadow over hockey, Upper Deck has looked for ways to entice collectors. In Canada, all 15 players on the checklist will be featured in their Team Canada uniform – rendering the NHL unnecessary in this case.

The United States NHC checklist will feature American-born players as well as international players on American franchises.

Each promotion will have a separate 16th card not available in packs, but for purchase. Canada’s 16th card is Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the 1987 Canada Cup, and the U.S. card features Jonathan Quick hoisting the Stanley Cup for the Los Angeles Kings.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Hockey. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here.

By Andrew Tolentino | Hockey Editor

For the fourth year in a row now, Upper Deck will kick off the Canadian National Hockey Card Day on Saturday, Feb. 11  with tons of exclusive giveaways and a special 16-card set. But this year, the other nation in North America, the United States, will also be included in the hobby holiday.

Find out how to participate on either side of  the border after the jump.

“We are thrilled about bringing National Hockey Card Day to fans in the United States and sharing this wonderful hobby with them,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s sports marketing & social media manager. “Hockey fans in the U.S. have seen how much fun their Canadian counterparts had with this promotion the past few years and they have been clamoring for us to bring it to the United States. We look forward to record numbers of hockey fans visiting participating hobby shops this weekend to score their free National Hockey Card Day packs.”

The proverbial puck drops tomorrow morning when Upper Deck begins an array of events and promotions hockey collectors in the U.S. and Canada.

In Canada…

• Head out to any participating hobby shop to get free five-card packs featuring pieces from the 16-card National Hockey Card Day set.
• Ask your local shop owner for details on how to get the special 16th card featuring Sidney Crosby as a member of Team Canada and visit London Drugs or Toys ‘R’ Us to receive a special blow-up card with any Upper Deck purchase.

The Canadian 16-card set includes:

• Five rookies (Cody Hodgson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brett Connolly, Mark Scheifele and Sean Couturier)
• Five veterans (Taylor Hall, P.K. Subban, Roberto Luongo, Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Toews)
• Five legends (Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Martin Brodeur)
• One special card featuring Sidney Crosby on Team Canada (Available as a gift with purchase while supplies last)

In the U.S.

• Visit any participating shop to receive one free five-card National Hockey Card Day pack.
• Ask your local shop owner for details on how to get the U.S. version of the special 16th card featuring Tim Thomas celebrating the Bruins’ Stanley Cup victory.

The U.S. 16-card set includes:

• American Franchises (Featuring Gabriel Landeskog, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne, Jaromir Jagr, and Zdeno Chara playing for teams in the U.S.)
• Stars in Stripes (Showcasing current U.S.-born players Ryan Kesler, Patrick Kane, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, and Andy Miele
• American Icons (Legendary U.S. players Willie O’Ree, Mike Modano, Brett Hull, and Brian Leetch
• One special card featuring Tim Thomas (Available as a gift with purchase while supplies last)

Click here to view the embedded video.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

For three years, hockey fans in the United States have been shut out from Upper Deck’s National Hockey Card Day where collectors can get free packs from select hobby shops. The event was only held in Canada.

Well, get ready. This year, Upper Deck is extending the trading card holiday to America.

On Feb. 11, 2012, National Hockey Card Day will be held in Canada and the United States simultaneously with separate sets for each country.

Packs will be offered at hobby shops that are part of Upper Deck’s Certified Diamond Dealers network.

The difference in the sets is minimal. The Canadian set will feature famous hockey players from Canada. The American set will highlight top Americans in the sport but also top international stars on American franchises.

There is a special 16th card given as a gift with purchase.

Canadians will get Sidney Crosby as a member of Team Canada.

Those in the United States will get a Tim Thomas card celebrating a Stanley Cup championship with the Boston Bruins.

For Canadians, there is retail part to the program. Collectors who visit a London Drugs or Toys “R” Us in Canada and make an Upper Deck purchase can receive a special National Hockey Card Day blow-up card. The five players featured will be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Roberto Luongo, Jonathan Toews, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Upper Deck likes to spice things up as well. The company will sprinkle in a few autographs along the way.

Check out the massive gallery below of the Canadian and American National Hockey Card Day cards.

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.