Upper Deck pays tribute to Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins
By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Hockey Editor
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won their fourth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history and Upper Deck has fired up the presses in order to get a cardboard tribute ready for the team that is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Made up of 18 players that battled through four rounds of playoff action for hockey’s ultimate prize, the set is limited to 5,000 copies and will be distributed as a gift with purchase through several channels. For most collectors, these methods include an order of $35.00 or more in NHL products through Upper Deck’s online store, a box purchase of 2015-16 products via the company’s authorized Internet retailers, and distribution via authorized group breakers.
For fans based in the Pittsburgh area, several local card stores will have the sets in hand as a bonus for making purchases. A complete list of participating retailers can be found on Upper Deck’s official blog.
The annual tribute to the Stanley Cup champions has become a tradition for Upper Deck in recent years and the checklist features names which ensured victory for the Steel City. Naturally, team mainstays Evgeni Malkin, Cup-winning goal scorer Kris Letang, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby are the biggest names; but there are plenty of supporting players such as the HBK Line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel. There are some rookie sensations as well in sensational young goaltender Matt Murray along with the surprising Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, and Tom Kuhnhackl. Kuhnhackl is a surprising addition to the set since he debuted just after the NHLPA’s rookie deadline and is not eligible to be on cards this season, but an exception appears to have been made.
2015-16 Upper Deck Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Champions
1 Carl Hagelin
2 Sidney Crosby
3 Matt Cullen
4 Olli Maatta
5 Nick Bonino
6 Phil Kessel
7 Evgeni Malkin
8 Brian Dumoulin
9 Eric Fehr
10 Trevor Daley
11 Ian Cole
12 Conor Sheary
13 Bryan Rust
14 Tom Kuhnhackl
15 Matt Murray
16 Kris Letang
17 Patric Hornqvist
18 Chris Kunitz
Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Hockey, Beckett Basketball, and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at slaroche@beckett.com or follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.
