Top Hockey Card Brands: A Collector's Dream Team

The world of hockey cards is a thrilling intersection of sports and collectibles, where passionate fans and collectors hunt for the best brands that offer quality, rarity, and value. Over the years, certain companies have established themselves as leaders in producing hockey cards that capture both the history and the excitement of the game. These brands are known for their unique designs, limited editions, and exclusive player signatures, making them highly sought after by enthusiasts. If you’re eager to discover which hockey card brands stand out in the market, we invite you to explore our detailed list below.

Illustration of hockey cards

Best brands of hockey cards in 2025

Upper Deck

Upper Deck is a renowned brand in the sports trading card industry, particularly celebrated for its high-quality hockey cards. Founded in 1988, Upper Deck revolutionized the market with its premium baseball series, which later influenced the entire sports card industry. The company holds exclusive agreements with notable athletes and has produced iconic cards, such as the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, which was graded over 50,000 times by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). Upper Deck's hockey cards, featuring players like Patrick Roy, have been highly successful, contributing to the company's significant market share. The sports trading card market, in which Upper Deck is a key player, is projected to grow substantially, with the global market valued at USD 8.58 billion in 2022 and expected to reach USD 39.53 billion by 2031. For more information, visit the Upper Deck Wikipedia page.

Topps

Topps is a leading producer of hockey cards, renowned for its extensive card portfolios and iconic partnerships, including a long-standing collaboration with Major League Baseball (MLB) that underscores its credibility in the sports trading card market. The brand dominates the North American market, particularly in hockey, with a significant market share driven by the growing popularity of sports and entertainment trading cards. Topps' cards often feature high-profile athletes and memorable moments, making them highly valuable for collectors. The company's innovation in introducing limited edition cards, autographed memorabilia, and interactive features further enhances its appeal. With the integration of technologies like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Topps continues to evolve and meet the demands of a dynamic market. For more information, visit the Topps official website.

Panini

Panini America is a leading producer of hockey cards, known for its exclusive partnerships with major sports leagues, including the NBA and NFL. The company's innovative approaches, such as integrating QR codes and video content into their cards, have enhanced the collector experience. Despite some initial failures with video cards, Panini continues to innovate, contributing significantly to the sports trading card market, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.80% from 2024 to 2031. Panini's products are highly sought after, particularly in segments like autograph cards, which are expected to account for 61.59% of the market share by 2030. The company's global distribution networks and iconic partnerships solidify its position as a dominant player in the market. For more information, visit their official website.

O-Pee-Chee

O-Pee-Chee is renowned as one of the best producers of hockey cards, with a rich history dating back to the 1930s. The brand, originally a Canadian confectionery company, began producing trading cards in the mid-1930s and gained prominence in the 1960s through its partnership with Topps. O-Pee-Chee cards are highly sought after, particularly the rare sets like the 1979-80 series, which can contain valuable Wayne Gretzky rookie cards. The 2023-24 O-Pee-Chee Hockey set features 600 cards, including 500 base cards and 100 All-Star/Marquee Rookie short prints, with various parallels such as the Purple Border and Printing Plates. These sets continue to be highly collectible, with some rare cards selling for millions of dollars.

Leaf Trading Cards

Leaf Trading Cards, founded in 2010 by Brian Gray, has carved a unique niche in the sports collectibles market, including hockey cards, by focusing on affordability and authenticity. The company does not hold licenses with the major US sports leagues, allowing it to concentrate on up-and-coming prospects and niche sports. This strategy enables Leaf to produce cards of future stars at an early stage, making them more accessible to collectors. For example, Leaf has been aggressive in signing exclusive deals with high school and collegiate athletes, a move that resonates with collectors looking to invest in the early careers of potential sports stars. This approach has helped Leaf stand out in a market expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.01% from 2023 to 2030. You can learn more about the company by visiting their Wikipedia page.

In The Game

In the Game (ITG) is a renowned brand in the hockey card market, celebrated for its high-quality and authentic cards that appeal to both collectors and fans. ITG cards often feature autographs and game-used memorabilia, making them highly valuable and sought after. The brand's attention to detail and commitment to authenticity have contributed to its strong market presence, with autograph cards, in particular, holding a significant market share of around 40.86% in 2022. The sports trading card market, which ITG is a part of, is projected to grow significantly, with the global market valued at USD 9.69 billion in 2022 and expected to reach USD 20.48 billion by 2030. ITG's products are a key driver in this growth, especially in regions like North America, where the market share stands at around 60.89%.

Parkhurst

Parkhurst is a seminal brand in the hockey card market, notably for its 1951-52 hockey card set, which was the first major set produced after a hiatus due to World War II. This set featured 105 cards of players from the Original Six NHL teams, including rookie cards of legends like Gordie Howe and Maurice "Rocket" Richard. The cards were distinctive for their blank backs and colorful player images on heavy paper stock. Parkhurst's contribution was crucial in reviving the hockey card market, and their cards remain highly coveted by collectors. Despite being overshadowed by later companies like Topps, Parkhurst's impact on the modern hockey card market is significant. For more detailed information, visit the official article on CGC Cards.

Be A Player

The Be A Player (BAP) brand is renowned for its high-quality hockey cards, particularly notable for its 2009-10 NHL Be-A-Player set, which included rookie exchange cards for the 2010-11 NHL season, each numbered to 99. This set featured autograph cards in every pack, making it highly sought after by collectors. BAP is part of the Upper Deck company, which has a significant presence in the sports trading card market. In the broader context, hockey cards, while not the largest segment, maintain a loyal collector base and are expected to show signs of strength with rising stars like Conner Bedard. The global sports trading card market, including hockey cards, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.80% from 2024 to 2031. For more detailed insights, visit the Upper Deck blog.

Score

Score is renowned as one of the best producers of hockey cards, particularly with the 1990-91 Score Hockey set, which includes rookie cards of legendary players like Martin Brodeur, Eric Lindros, Jaromir Jagr, and Mats Sundin. This set, comprising 440 cards plus a 110-card "Rookie & Traded" set, featured a hockey-centric design with red and blue lines along the borders, giving it a classic hockey rink feel. The set was released in both American and Canadian versions, with the Canadian version having bilingual card backs in English and French. Despite being from the "junk wax era," this set remains highly valued for its extensive rookie card checklist. The Score brand continued to evolve, introducing foil parallels and insert cards in subsequent sets. You can read more about this iconic set in this detailed retrospective on the 1990-91 Score Hockey set.

Fleer

Fleer, though more renowned for its baseball and basketball cards, also played a significant role in the hockey card market. In 1992, Fleer was awarded a license to issue hockey cards, and by the 1993-94 season, they introduced the 'Power Play' set after Pro Set lost its license due to financial issues. Fleer's entry into hockey cards marked a crucial period in the market, as it helped fill the gap left by Pro Set's departure. However, Fleer's dominance in hockey cards was short-lived, as other companies like Upper Deck soon gained popularity. Despite this, Fleer's contribution to the hockey card market remains notable. For more details about Fleer's history and impact, visit their Wikipedia page.