The Top 5 Cards From 2025-26 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection
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The National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago came to a close on Sunday and it was a fantastic celebration of all things sports cards. Hockey cards are no exception, and the 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection was released on July 22nd. It came out at a fantastic time, as this set offers some of the best hockey cards of the year.
We look at the 5 top cards from this set to celebrate the success of the 2026 National Sports Collectors Convention and give you a taste of what is offered with the 2025-26 UD NHL Ultimate Collection
5) 2025-26 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Heroes Auto Patch /15 Martin Brodeur
This card was sold on August 1, 2026 through eBay for $357.27 and the representative card for these all-time greats in the set which also includes Joe Sakic, Doug Gilmour and more.
4) 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection 4 Nations Face-Off Patch /10 Auston Matthews
This card, as shown in a joint Instagram video by @UpperDeckSports and @da_casualtroy, shows off the Team USA center with a big smile on his face.
3) 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection Rookie Tandem Shield /2 Michael Misa Macklin Celebrini
Michael Misa and Macklin Celebrini are about as good as it gets for a young duo. It will be interesting for all hockey fans, and likely a delight for San Jose Sharks fans, to see how these two young players continue to grow into the superstars that they are seemingly destined to become. Among those in the set are: Canadiens, Ivan Demidov & Cole Caufield; Blackhawks, Connor Bedard & Artyom Levshunov; and Sharks, Michael Misa & Macklin Celebrini.
2) 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection Ultimate Shield Auto 1-of-1 Conor McDavid
Just a short time after release, the hits started coming for the 2025-26 UD Ultimate Collection; among those lucky enough to hit was @Breezythebreaker on Instagram, who got the amazing card.
That's right, none other than the great Connor McDavid, who is on this 1-of-1 card and is an absolutely amazing find. This card represents the Ultimate Shield Autos on our list that are available in the set. Other stars with this card include Nikita Kucherov, Connor Hellebuyck, Clayton Keller, and others.
1) 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection Ultimate Rookies Auto Shield 1-of-1 Gabe Perreault
In 2023, the New York Rangers selected Gabe Perreault at number 23 overall. It is fair to say that they did well with their pick and benefited from other teams passing on Perreault earlier on in the 1st round. In Gabe Perreault's rookie campaign, he has solidified his place on the team and looks to be one of the best young core pieces for the Blueshirts for years to come.
Number 94, Gabe Perreault, is number 1 on our list of top cards as one of the representatives for the Ultimate Rookies Auto Shield chase card from the 2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection set. These cards feature a clean, well-designed look with the NHL shield patch next to a picture of the promising young talent.
2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Ultimate Collection Ultimate Rookies Auto Shield 1-of-1 Matthew Schaefer
To end our list, we take note of Matthew Schaefer's 1-of-1 Auto Shield. It is sure to be one of the top hockey cards of the year with the amazing Matthew Schaefer on it, if recent history is any indication.
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D. Allen Thompson is a contributing collectibles writer with eclectic tastes. He provides enthusiastic commentary on the ever-evolving world of trading cards against the backdrop of the broader historical, economic, and societal contexts in which they exist. He is on a journey to find fascinating stories and meet interesting people while using trading cards as the guideposts to lead the way to the American Dream.