By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

The latest Fleer Retro product is out.

Upper Deck gave the treatment to basketball and football. Now, it’s hockey’s turn.

Fleer Retro brings back 1990s inserts. Hockey players get a new look, but on old designs such as Noyz Boyz and Jambalaya inserts. Previous Metal Gem parallels are also included.

Here’s a look at some of the hot cards on eBay right now. Hit the comments to tell us what you think.

Precious Metal Gems
- Precious Metal Gems Ruby Mark Messier
- Precious Metal Gems Blue P.K. Subban
- Precious Metal Gems Blue Chris Kreider

Autographs
-1993-94 Ultra Taylor Hall autograph
- 1996-97 SkyBox Autographics Dany Heatley
- Precious Metal Gems Blue Ryan Nugent Hopkins

Inserts
- Noyz Boyz Ryan Nugent Hopkins
- Electrifying Mario Lemieux insert
- Jambalaya Teemu Selanne
- Noyz Boyz John Tavares
- Golden Touch Teemu Selanne
- E-X 2001 Sidney Crosby
- Ultra Stars Bobby Orr
- Flair Showcase Hot Shots Dion Phaneuf
- Metal Championships Hardware Ondrej Pavelec

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 and Twitter.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

Collectors will get more than just the title cards in SP Authentic hockey this season.

When Upper Deck canceled a number of its hockey products earlier this year, the company didn’t want to do away with many of the cards it already worked on. It decided to insert the items from SPx and Upper Deck Series 2 as content in 2012-13 SP Authentic.

SPA is scheduled to come in June with three autographs in every box, on average.

The autos can come from a number of subsets such as Future Watch, Signs of the Times, Team Canada Moments and more.

If looking for cards from the now-canceled products, collectors can find SPx bonus packs, which could include Rookie Cards and hits from many of the top players this season. UD is also adding Upper Deck Update, which would have normally been found in Series 2. These cards will feature traded players, free agents and stars who didn’t get in Series 1.

It seems as though UD is attempting to make SPA timeless considering the unusual circumstances. One insert that showcases this idea is the Authentic Moment Autographs. These cards will feature moments throughout a player’s career with autograph versions signed in a gold paint pen.

Other highlights include:
- Team Canada Moments – includes multi-player and autographed variations
- 94-95 SP Retro with die-cut autograph versions
- UD Exclusives
- MVP Rookie updates

Each box will contain 24 packs with five cards in each pack.

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

The two teams in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship game have been decided: USA vs. Sweden.

Team USA earned its way in by defeating Team Canada 5-1 in a semifinal. The tournament featured many up-and-coming stars, including a few players coming off their NHL rookie seasons.

The World Juniors is for athletes under 20 years old, allowing players such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mark Scheifele to compete.

Here’s a look at the teams that made it to the final stage and some of the players that have cards on the market (after the jump):

USA

Alex Galchenyuk
World Juniors: Two goals, six assists in six games.
Galchenyuk has a number of cards for collectors to chase. He was drafted third overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.
Stats: 45 cards, 13 autograph cards
Notable Cards:
-2010-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs
-2012-13 ITG Superlative Prospect Autographs Silver /50

SWEDEN

Filip Forsberg
World Juniors: Three goals, two assists
Selected 11th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2012
Stats: Five cards
Notable cards
-2011-12 Hockey/Allsvenskan

Sebastian Collberg
World Juniors: Four goals, two assists in five games
Collberg was drafted 33rd overall in 2012 by Montreal.
Stats: Four cards
Notable cards:
-2011-12 Swedish SHL Elitset

Victor Rask
World Juniors: Two goals and two assists
Second round pick for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012
Stats: Four cards, including two autos
Notable cards:
-2010-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs

CANADA

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
World Juniors: Two goals, five assets
2011-12 NHL rookie with Edmonton
Stats: 582 cards, 242 autos
-2011-12 The Cup JSU/AU /93
-2011-12 Upper Deck Ice RC /99
-2011-12 Dominion JSY AU /99 RC

Jonathan Huberdeau
World Juniors: Two goals, five assists
Selected third overall in 2011 by Florida
Stats: 57 cards, six autos
Notable cards:
-2010-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects autographs
-2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Autographs
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects

Ryan Strome
World Juniors: 4 goals, 2 assists
Selected fifth overall in 2011 by the Islanders
Stats: 42 cards, 7 autos
Notable Card:
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs

Mark Scheifele
World Juniors: Four goals, two assists
2011-12 NHL rookie with the Winnipeg Jets
Stats: 227 cards, 21 RC, 114 autos
Notable cards:
-2011-12 The Cup JSY AU RC /99
-2011-12 Upper Deck Ice /99 RC
-2011-12 Dominion JSY AU /99 RC

SWITZERLAND

Dario Simion
World Juniors: Two goals, three assists in five games.
Stats: Three cards not press plates
Notable Cards:
-2011-12 Swiss SNL
-2011-12 Swiss SNL Promos
-2011-12 Swiss SNL Top Prospects

RUSSIA

Nail Yakupov
World Juniors: One goal, five assists
No. 1 NHL draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2012
Stats: 54 cards, 15 autographs
Notable cards:
-2012-13 ITG Superlative Prospect Jersey Autographs Silver /30
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects UPD

Mikhail Grigorenko
World Juniors: Two goals, four assists
Selected 12th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012
Stats: 15 cards, two autos
Notable cards:
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs UPD

GERMANY

Tobias Rieder
World Juniors: Two goals in five games
Selected in the fourth round of the 2011 draft by Edmonton
Stats: Two cards
-2010-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects
-2010-11 Kitchener Rangers

FINLAND

Markus Granlund
World Juniors: Five goals and four assists
Selected in the second round of the 2011 draft by Calgary
Stats: Two cards
-2010-11 Finnish Cardset
-2010-11 Finnish Cardset Young Guns

Joel Armia
World Juniors: Three goals, five assists in five games
Selected 16th overall in the 2011 draft by Buffalo
Stats: Three cards
-2010-11 Finnish Cardset
-2010-11 Finnish Cardset Young Guns
-2010-11 Finnish Cardset Game Worn Jerseys

CZECH

Martin Frk
World Juniors: Two goals, one assist
Second-round draft pick by Detroit in 2012
Stats: Seven cards, three autos
Notable cards:
-2010-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs
-2011-12 ITG Heroes and Prospects Autographs UPD SP

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

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

With the NHL lockout in full swing, and games canceled through the end of the year, one of the few things keeping collectors going is the small doses of new product.

Panini had Classics Signatures come out last week with a focus on retired players.

This week, Upper Deck released 2012-13 Black Diamond. This product has no redemptions. Essentially, what you see is what you get.

Here’s the preview for Black Diamond and the checklist in the Beckett database.

Let’s also look at early cards coming out.

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Rookie Gems WAYNE GRETZKY

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Rookie Gems JORDAN NOLAN

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Premieres MARK STONE /999

Parallels

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Ruby parallel CAREY PRICE

Inserts

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Lustrous Greats MARIO LEMIUEX

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Championship Rings TYLER SEGUIN

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Hardware Heroes EVGENI MALKIN /100

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Championship Rings JEAN BELIVEAU

Memorabilia

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Puzzle Dual Jersey RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Puzzle Jersey JAROME IGINLA

Autographs

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Emerald Auto CODY GOLOUBEF

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Emerald Auto DAVID PERRON

- 2012-13 Black Diamond Gemography auto VALTERRI FILPPULA

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

Beckett Customer Appreciation Month continues where registered users can win great prizes throughout October.

Go to www.Beckett.com/customerappreciation and click on “Enter the Contest.”

There is a limit of one entry per day and you need a valid name and email address registered with your Beckett.com account.

Visit the Beckett Forums to see daily winners.

Today’s prize: 2011-12 SP Authentic hobby box

ENTER NOW!

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

Every day the NHL lockout goes on, hockey fans get more antsy without a resolution.

Some hockey collectors might not want to bother with cards because they are so disappointed. But the lockout can be a good time for collecting – as long as you can deal without having much new product.

Here are five tips to collecting during a lockout to get you through the coming weeks.

1. Search for bargains
During any work stoppage, there will be collectors who lose interest in their respective sport. This is a great opportunity for others to find deals. Head to card shows and scour the auction sites because there are bargains to be had at a time like this without much competition looking for similar cards.

2. Know what’s coming
Even though there will not be many new products during a lockout, there are some. Currently, Upper Deck Artifacts is still on the release calendar for early October, and Panini America has a product focused on retired players slated to come out in several weeks. You don’t want to miss out on something you would enjoy because you stopped paying attention to the hobby.

3. Fill in the blanks
This is the ripe time to play catch up with older sets. Find the pieces you’re missing with the peace of mind knowing you don’t have to worry too much about new products.

4. Look overseas
Just because the NHL isn’t skating doesn’t mean players are sitting by the phone. Many NHL players headed to Europe and Asia. Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin have already made their debuts this season with the Kontinental Hockey League. Oddball items might pop up of these players, which could add more character to collections.

5. Don’t forget the minors
One thing the 2004-05 lockout did was boost the talent in the American Hockey League and the ECHL. Many athletes played down a level from where they should have been that season. The same is going to happen now. Look at minor league rosters and check out schedules to see when certain players will be in town. Hint: Start with the Oklahoma City Barons. Edmonton sent 26 players to the Barons including Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

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

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

Upper Deck’s Rookie Evolution Video redemptions have made noise when they appeared in packs of 2011-12 NHL The Cup.

Collectors wondered – some a little loudly – ‘Who will be in them? What will we see?’

While not all information is available just yet, Upper Deck has given out more information of what collectors can expect.

Each card will feature one of 12 rookies from the 2011-12 NHL class. Every athlete is available in the same quantity with there not being any short-prints, but all cards are rare. The video cards will not be numbered or autographed.

But the player in the video will be a surprise to collectors until it arrives.

Here are the 12 athletes that will be on the cards:
・ Adam Henrique, New Jersey
・ Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay
・ Blake Geoffrion, Nashville
・ Brendan Smith, Detroit
・ Cody Eakin, Washington
・ Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado
・ Jake Gardiner, Toronto
・ Mika Zibanejad, Ottawa
・ Ryan Ellis, Nashville
・ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton
・ Simon Despres, Pittsburgh
・ Zack Kassian, Buffalo

While Upper Deck has not released pictures of the appearance of the cards, the company is guaranteeing they will be different than previous versions.

“These cards are the next “evolution” of the Evolution video cards meaning their construction and design will be drastically different than other video cards Upper Deck have previously released,” Upper Deck’s marketing manager Chris Carlin wrote on the company’s blog.

Content on the cards will appear from film that was shot from 2011 NHLPA Rookie Showcase. Athletes were put against a green screen for some of the production of the video, according to Upper Deck.

While the cards are not ready just yet, they should be ready in a few weeks.

“Since the cards have a premium new construction, design and exclusive video content, we felt they belonged in our most premium release of the year in 2011-12 NHL The Cup,” Carlin wrote.

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

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

Remember video cards that were all the rage last year?

Companies put video cards of athletes in boxes of some of the top players in the league. Well, they’re back.

Upper Deck has included Rookie Evolution Video Card Redemptions in 2011-12 The Cup – a high-end hockey product on UD’s calendar, which came out this week.

There’s no telling who you would get considering these are just redemption cards, but guys could include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Gabriel Landeskog.

Do people want these cards?

You betcha.

One of the first of these redemptions to land on eBay sold for $599. And, currently, there are just three of these eBay.

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

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Hockey Editor

Hockey fans are gearing up for another installment of Young Guns.

Upper Deck Series 1 hits the shelves in November with one of the most popular series for Rookie Cards in the sport.

Young Guns will fall at an average rate of six cards per 24-pack hobby box. Each eight-card pack will have two to three inserts. Some other items collectors can get include parallels, jersey cards and canvas cards.

Young Guns have been around for several years under the Upper Deck umbrella and have been popular with hockey fans. Putting them on canvas cards seemed to also be a big hit last year.

The 2011-12 Upper Deck Canvas Young Guns have book values in the $10 to $30 range. The lone exception is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins whose Young Guns canvas card has a Beckett book value range of $90 to $150.

So who are collectors gunning for now (pun intended)?

Some of the most popular rookies for this upcoming season will be top draft picks Nail Yakupov and Ryan Murray - that’s only, of course, if they play in a game.

But getting a Young Gun canvas will be slightly difficult. Those cards fall at an average of one in every two boxes.

In one hobby box, collectors can expect to get two UD Game Jerseys in addition to four canvas cards, two Silver Skate inserts, four MVP regular cards and two Hockey Heroes of the 1970s.

There are some cards that are extremely rare in Upper Deck Series 1. Autographs are hard to come by as there is just one in every case.

Also, Upper Deck is including acetate cards as a case hit featuring a new series of inserts Clear Cut Pride. Parallels will also fall about six per case.

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

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

Panini America offered the first glimpses at its plans for this year’s National Sports Collectors Convention on Monday, teasing four of the six cards it will make available to collectors who purchase a VIP pass to the event.

The cards, created using the Gridiron Kings design of recent years, showcase NBA rookie Kyrie Irving, NFL rookies Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III as well as NHL newcomer Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The company will reveal the final two cards on Aug. 1 in Baltimore — the opening day of the show.

It’s worth noting that there is not a presence in the set for the company’s fourth major license — any cards of baseball players under its MLBPA deal.

The Irving card, which shows him at last year’s NBA Draft, is just the second card released for him by Panini. His first was at last year’s NSCC, and, because of a lack of Rookie Cards because of the NBA lockout, it’s been a hot seller.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.