In the ever-evolving world of hockey collectibles, a new star is burning bright and fast against the icy backdrop: Macklin Celebrini. As the San Jose Sharks’ prodigious rookie sensation skates onto NHL’s storied rinks with the agility of a gazelle and the ferocity of a leopard eyeing its prey, the collectible cards bearing his visage are generating a whirlwind of excitement among collectors. Released in synchronic harmony with Celebrini’s electrifying debut, Upper Deck’s 2024-25 Series 2 has become a veritable treasure trove for hockey enthusiasts and investors who recognize a golden—nay, icy silver—opportunity when they see one.
Emerging as the first pick in the NHL’s 2024 Entry Draft, Celebrini’s accolades have cast a long and promising shadow over the incoming lighter shade of players selected that year. With the holy grail of rookie prowess bestowed upon him, colloquially known as the “Cheetah,” Celebrini displays enviable speed and a sharpened finesse that has left both fans and analysts starry-eyed. Comparatively drawing near to top league luminaries such as Connor Bedard or Auston Matthews, this 18-year-old seems poised to carve his name into the annals of hockey greatness, one skate blade at a time.
The Calder Trophy race teasingly awaits conclusions, like a climactic reveal in an enthralling thriller, with Celebrini touted as a frontrunner amidst other sterling competitors like Montreal’s Lane Hutson. Yet it is not only the ice where Celebrini shines; indeed, on rectangular pieces of cardboard, he’s enacting quite the revolution.
With the ceremonious unveiling of Upper Deck Series 2, collectors lined up with bated breath and opened packs with the glee of children on Christmas morning. Three different Young Guns cards depicting the burgeoning talent of Celebrini promptly caused a stir. The Base Young Guns rookie card has been akin to the crown jewel, fetching a rapacious sum of $200 and climbing faster than a snowball down a mountain in the secondary market.
But the extravaganza doesn’t end there. The Young Guns “Teammates” card, offering a glimpse of camaraderie as Celebrini aligns with fellow rookie, the aptly named Will Smith, has generated enthusiastic interest and a $20 price point. In a serendipitous rendezvous of two rookies destined for greatness, the Young Guns checklist card featuring Philadelphia’s own rising Phoenix—Matvei Michkov—has rapidly become a sought-after prize, hitting around $25.
Securing an exclusive autograph deal with Celebrini in mid-2024 was as much a coup for Upper Deck as it is for the collectors now scouring the market with eager eyes and ready wallets. Only through Upper Deck’s offerings can one savor the autograph of this imminent legend. Savvy investors, with one eye on the ice and another on the market, see these autographed gems as akin to stocks of rookie phenoms like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, whose card values have been an upward journey as steep and spectacular as a rocket to the moon.
While Enthusiasm among fans and investors has reached fever pitch, Celebrini has maintained a cool, unruffled demeanor—perhaps as smooth as his glide across the rink. Distractions and hype, he suggests, barely stir him from his laser focus and personal benchmarks. “I have my expectations for myself,” he tells Puck Junk with the maturity of an old soul hiding inside a young man’s frame. It’s as if the fanfare reverbates around him as white noise; his sights are firmly set on continual growth and mastery without the clutter of public opinion swaying him.
The implications for the hockey card market, and perhaps the sport itself, are both lucrative and captivating. With hockey fans and collectible-savvy investors sensing the winds of change, reminiscent of the fabled Gretzky era or the more recent waves of McDavid mania, Macklin Celebrini and his cards stand at the threshold of forming their own legendary storyline.
In a world that idolizes talent and catered heroism, Celebrini represents the new guard—a fresh chapter in the tome of ice hockey’s illustrious history. Collectors scuffle to procure a piece of that chapter today, perhaps in the hope that, one day, they’ll look back fondly at a time when they held the story of a legend in their hands, while he’s all white-knuckled, penning it with skates.
