Line for UD Series 1 Hockey at Wayne's Ice House

Line for UD Series 1 Hockey at Wayne’s Ice House

Mint Musings: McDavid Madness is Upon Us  – When I first heard about Connor McDavid’s injury a few nights ago, I couldn’t believe it. You talk about a rough development for the Oilers and the NHL itself in losing one of its top rookies in years for a prolonged period of time. It then got me to thinking about the impact on this year’s hockey products and how the injury would affect McDavid’s popularity and hockey card sales in general. The timing of his injury was especially unfortunate given the release of Upper Deck’s Series 1 Hockey line this week. I thought for sure McDavid’s trading card sales and popularity would take a big hit.

If early returns are any indication, I was horribly wrong. His Young Guns rookie cards have been getting consistent offers of $200-$250. According to Upper Deck’s Chris Carlin, the only one he saw sell went for $300, and he noted the seller did it reluctantly. Several of his cards, Upper Deck and Leaf alike, are being listed for several thousand dollars on eBay.

I can only imagine the pandemonium that will ensue at the Toronto Fall Expo this weekend every time one of his

Collect Connor

#CollectConnor

cards is pulled from a pack. I had the chance to attend the show last year, and I was stunned and pleased to see the level of passion among the Canadian fan base. They collect as much, if not more so, for the pure joy of collecting and set building as opposed to pulling for value and flipping cards for a quick profit. That may explain the reluctance of our neighbors up north to move his cards. The love for players such as Gretzky and Crosby is still incredibly apparent up there and while it may be too early to add him to that list, it appears collectors are already ready to elevate McDavid to that level.

Elaborating a little more on the madness for McDavid cards, Carlin said, “In my 18 years with Upper Deck, I have never seen a rookie garner as much attention and excitement as Connor McDavid. During the first day of sales here in Edmonton, I witnessed huge lines outside of shops, phones at the shops ringing off the hook, four television stations and two radio stations showing up at a shop to chronicle the craziness, and later in the day, customers being turned away because product was sold out. We anticipate the excitement to continue at the Fall Expo in Toronto this weekend where we have a variety of promotions and activations for hockey fans.”

TV News InterviewAs strong as the sales have been so far, I can’t help but wonder how much higher they’d be if not for his injury. He had already logged five goals and seven assists before his injury, so it seemed like he was on his way to a productive season. If he can continue that level of play when he returns, the sky may very well be the limit on some of his cards. It’s not many players, especially rookies, who can maintain a high level in the hobby after a serious injury, but McDavid seems to be immune to that. Injury or not, he is still ruling the roost in a sea of talented NHL rookies this year. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where he sits when the season is over.


Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan as the producer of ESPN’s Mint Condition has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on the hobby in Mint Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
Kelsey Schroyer

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