Upper Deck Gears Up for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game

Upper Deck has announced that they will be participating in next week's 2009 NHL All Star Game festivities in a number of different capacities. The NHL All Star Game, which is being played in Montreal this year, is no stranger to Upper Deck. The trading card manufacturer has cosponsored various aspects of the events many times before. Upper Deck will be involved in this year's NHL All Star Game in multiple capacities.  They will be cosponsoring the NHL All Star Trading Card and Memorabilia Show and will also be presenting the annual NHL Young Stars Game, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24. The actual NHL All-Star Game, which will be celebrating the centennial season of the Montreal Canadiens, will be held on Sunday, Jan. 25.

The Trading Card and Memorabilia Show takes place as part of the Lay’s NHL All-Star Jamboree across the street from Montreal’s Bell Centre and Windsor Station. Tickets to the NHL All-Star Jamboree will be $10 apiece and show hours will be from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both Thursday, Jan. 22, and Friday, Jan. 23, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24.

As always, several special events have been planned for the Upper Deck booth. As the sole NHL trading card licensee, Upper Deck finds it of utmost importance to participate heavily in events like this one. Toward that end, Upper Deck will have three up-and-coming NHL rookie standouts signing free autographs at the company’s booth on Friday, Jan. 23. Two 19-year-olds – Drew Doughty of the L.A. Kings, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Luke Schenn of the Toronto Maple Leafs, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – will be signing along with 18-year-old Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, will be signing autographs from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

A special 10 card set of Upper Deck Hockey Cards has been created exclusively for the show. The limited edition set will be available through a wrapper redemption program. Collectors who buy five packs of any current Upper Deck or Fleer hockey product (except 2008-09 UD Victory) will receive their choice of one of these 3 card show packs. If a collector opens a full box of any current Upper Deck or Fleer hockey product containing 24 or more packs they will receive all three 3 card packs, plus a special Montreal Canadiens’ Commemorative Centennial card. The full checklist for the set is as follows:

MTL # 1  Alex Kovalev (Canadiens);
MTL # 2  Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals);
MTL # 3  Carey Price (Canadiens);
MTL # 4  Guy Lafleur (Canadiens);
MTL # 5  Larry Robinson (Canadiens);
MTL # 6  Jarome Iginla (Flames);
MTL # 7  Patrick Roy (Canadiens);
MTL # 8  Sidney Crosby (Penguins);
MTL # 9  Saku Koivu (Canadiens);
MTL # 10  Montreal Canadiens

Additionally, Upper Deck will have a P-card station set up where hockey fans can get photographed and get their own NHL All-Star hockey card made. Upper Deck will also have a “Slap Shot” game open to kids where they are just a slap shot away from winning great prizes. A special trading card zone will be set up as well to allow hockey card collectors to trade with one another, and a number of card giveaways and promotions will be offered throughout the festivities.