After the tremendous success of the PWHL First Edition set, Upper Deck has released the highly anticipated follow-up product: the 2024-25 Upper Deck PWHL set. For the first time, fans will be able to collect physical cards featuring the league’s latest jerseys and branding, and every pack carries the chance to pull big-ticket items showcasing the world’s top women’s hockey players.
“I think we all saw fans went crazy for that first set,” said Upper Deck Brand Coordinator Keegan Krasne. “That reception was incredible. People loved it. They were looking for it again and waiting for that second product. Every time you release that first edition, it's going to be that collector's item. Everyone wants the first. So our thought is, what can we realistically do to match that hype?”
Upper Deck has successfully done so thus far, leveling up from the original drop by including brand-new styles of cards. That includes the PWHL-exclusive Elevated Talent series, some of which already being valued at 200 Canadian dollars per card ($143 USD), with more to come as fans continue to receive and open their product.
But perhaps the most exciting new feature is the Autograph Parallels and PWHL Signatures, which offer fans the chance to pull autographed cards from a pool of more than 30 players.
“It's the first time that within the flagship for PWHL that you can get autographs in a pack,” Krasne explained. “That’s something that we worked a lot to get out the door, and we're happy to continue to put those into some products.”
There has already been buzz surrounding one pull in particular: the Cayla Barnes Gold Outburst card. Only one copy was printed, making it a highly valuable one-of-one product. This card was pulled by a fan just days after the release, according to Reddit, and is in the process of being graded, so there’s no word on its value quite yet. But if earlier trends are any indication, the Barnes card will no doubt be among the most prized collectibles in the latest drop.
“I just was very happy to see that they’re just generating clicks and stuff, and people are sharing that excitement,” Krasne said. “The Gold Outburst, and the Red Outburst, which is numbered out of 25 — anytime you can get a one-of-one in your collection that just adds a whole other kind of value to the collector, as opposed to just the monetary value. It’s like you have something that no one else can have."
Upper Deck is tapping into a newer fanbase as the PWHL gears up for its third season of competition, and the reception of the first two collectible sets has been nothing short of spectacular with both drops selling out almost immediately. It’s a testament to the passion of women’s hockey fans and the enormous impact the PWHL has had on the hockey world in its young lifespan so far.
“Having those new sorts of collectibles for people and really generating new collectors is kind of the goal,” Krasne said. “We always want to just keep growing the industry.”
The world of collectibles is constantly expanding, and this set is just another example of that. Upper Deck has been printing NHL cards since 1990, and the sports trading card hobby has existed for over 100 years. Now, with the first two PWHL sets being scooped up by collectors at an extremely high rate, it gives Upper Deck another outlet to not only grow the hobby but also support the expansion of women’s hockey.
“The PWHL continues to grow, so every time they kind of take a stride towards growth, we have to find a way to capture that, match it, and deliver it to the consumer,” Krasne said. “We're going to support their growth hand in hand — by sponsoring their draft, trying to get more attention there. Same thing with the Expansion Draft. We want people to see these things and how the league's growing and know that there's more to come, and this is really just the start of it.”
The PWHL featured six teams in its inaugural season in 2023-24: the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres. Within one year, the league expanded to add teams in Seattle and Vancouver, and those clubs will debut in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
But it doesn’t stop there: ESPN has reported that league executives are already in the planning stages of adding more teams for the 2026-27 season.
“In the case of the PWHL, they’ve added two more teams, and assuming everything goes well and they keep progressing, I'm sure those won't be the last two added teams,” Krasne said. “So I think it will be a very nice thing as more cities get introduced, you’ll see more fans, more collectors, and everyone across the board will just see that growth and keep appreciating it.”
While there's no indication of when the next set might be released, Krasne reported that there are "definitely some talks internally" about continuing to expand Upper Deck's collection of PWHL products, adding that "as the league continues to grow, so do our opportunities and what we can deliver to the fans."
You can use Upper Deck’s store locator to find a local hobby shop in your area, or the authorized internet retailers list to purchase the 2024-25 PWHL hockey cards — if there are any left.
