2022-23 Upper Deck Alexis Hockey

This is the first retail hockey set from Upper Deck after a multi-year gap, and it lands with a solid rookie class headlined by Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Logan Cooley. The base set is straightforward and clean, with a modern design that doesn't try too hard. You get standard base cards, a handful of insert sets sprinkled into packs, and some parallel versions to chase. It's a reset moment for Upper Deck in the hobby, so the set feels intentional rather than rushed. The photography is sharp and the card stock feels premium compared to what you might be used to from the previous few years. The real chase pieces are the Young Guns rookies, which come in multiple parallel tiers. Expect to see Red, Blue, Green, and Gold versions at different pull rates, with the Gold being the scarcest. If you're hunting Wright or Slafkovsky, the parallels matter because the base versions are still relatively accessible. There are also autographed Young Guns cards in hobby boxes, though hits are never guaranteed. Retail packs have a different makeup than hobby, so if you're serious about autos or serial numbered parallels, hobby is the way to go. Veteran cards and stars like Connor McDavid anchor the set but don't command the same premium as the rookie class. This product works best if you're building the base set or hunting specific rookie parallels rather than ripping boxes blind. Singles are cheaper and smarter here unless you want the rush of potential hits. It's a solid entry point back into modern hockey cards and worth collecting if you follow the NHL or like the design. The rookie trio gives it long-term appeal, especially if any of them develop into franchise cornerstones. Compared to past Upper Deck releases, this feels clean and straightforward, which some collectors will appreciate and others might find a bit plain.