10 Must-See Monster Hockey Cards from 21-22 Credentials
- Rocco Panetta
- Aug 7, 2023
- 4 min read
Your All Access Pass to the Best Pulls from 21-22 Upper Deck Credentials (So Far)
Credentials makes its return to hobby shops, and many of your collections, for the first time since the 19-20 season. Although Upper Deck skipped a year, you can still find low-numbered rookie cards of 20-21 rookie studs like Kirill Kaprizov and Tim Stutzle, along with the 21-22 class headlined by Mo Seider and Cole Caufield that everyone has come to know and love.
Now that it has been almost week since its release, I thought it would be a good time to share some hockey cards from the set that are creating a buzz within the hobby. Here are 10 of my favourite monsters that have found homes so far, in no particular order:
1. Dylan Strome Main Stage Signatures 1/1 Black Parallel
The 'Main Stage Signatures' subset is new for this year's edition of Credentials, with sticker autos of veterans from across the league, with different parallels, including the black 1/1 featured here. Dylan Strome may not be the biggest name in a checklist with Jason Robertson and Brad Marchand, many of us could only dream of opening a pack and finding a card with the iconic '1 of 1' script stamped on it.
2. Moritz Seider Debut Ticket Access Autographs Orange Parallel #/25
The Debut Ticket Access cards are one of the bigger draws for this set, with (mostly) hard-signed autos and parallels that might blind you if light reflects off of it at just the right angle. The design itself definitely grabs your attention, but when a stud defenseman such as Mo Seider is featured on the front, you'll most likely want to take a long, good look at it. This low-numbered, orange parallel is a beauty.
3. Sidney Crosby Ticket Access Autographs #/10 (19-20 Update)
With Credentials taking a year off and skipping a season, most of the hype has revolved around 20-21 updates, but one of the first big cards pulled on release day was actually an update from the year before. Love him or hate him, Sidney Crosby is one of the best to ever do it, and seeing an on-card, low-numbered auto with his iconic #87 is always a welcome sight, especially for whoever had the Penguins in the group break that this was pulled in.
4. Jaromir Jagr/Mario Lemieux Dual Ticket Access Autos #/10
Speaking of all-time Penguins, I knew this dual auto had to make the list the second I saw it. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr are two of the greatest players the game has ever seen, and these days, it's hard enough to find a card from a newer set with one of their signatures on them, let alone both. With 9 other copies still floating around out there, a few more people are bound to be over the moon when they open a lucky pack.
5. Alexis Lafreniere Debut Ticket Access 1/1 Black Parallel (20-21 Update)
While we all love to admire and chase the autographs that are coming out of this set, there are some non-auto rookie cards that deserve some love too. One of the biggest that some of you may have seen so far is this 1 of 1 Debut Ticket Access rookie card of Alexis Lafreniere, the 1st overall pick in the 2020 draft. Even though he has not lived up to the hype yet by any means, I still think there's a chance for him to be a solid NHL player for years to come. Does he realize his potential as a Ranger? Only time will tell.
6. Auston Matthews Pro Visions
Hand up, choosing to feature Auston Matthews's card out of is a biased pick coming from a (not so) proud Leafs fan. The truth is, the artwork for all of them are terrific, and they're also somewhat difficult to find, considering that they're easter eggs that aren't shown on the checklist. Some are comparing them to Downtown cards found in Panini products, but I think the fact that the designs are hand-drawn add another unique element that makes them stand out.
7. Adam Fox Debut Ticket Access 1/1 Gold Parallel Auto (19-20 Update)
If you're already plugged into the hockey card community as much as I am, you knew this was going to show up here. Adam Fox is by far the best 19-20 update rookie that can be found in 21-22 Credentials, and it didn't take long for his shiny, trippy gold 1/1 Debut Ticket Access auto to see the light of day, as to was pulled from a group break on release day. He already has a Norris Trophy under his belt, and he could easily add a few more to his mantle in the future.
8. Tim Stutzle Debut Ticket Access Gold Parallel #/5 (20-21 Update)
I can't tell if I'm a bigger fan of the 20-21 or 21-22 Ticket Access design. Both of them look super clean, but I might have to give the edge to this design. Either way, there's no denying that this rare rookie card of one of the most electric young stars in the league will fetch this eBay seller a decent payday. The gold on blue really makes it pop out at you too.
9. Jeremy Swayman Debut Ticket Access Autographs Acetate Parallel #/99
I'm also a sucker for a clean-looking acetate card, and this one's one of the best I've seen so far. Jeremy Swayman is one of the best goalies from the 21-22 rookie class, and even though he was technically Boston's backup goalie last season, I think he will eventually become a solid, reliable starter for years to come, whether he does it as a Bruin or for another team that needs him more.
10. Cole Caufield Debut Ticket Access Gold Parallel #/5
It simply wouldn't be a 'best of' list from a 21-22 product without featuring a Cole Caufield card. Much like Stutzle's, gold is always a welcome sight for collectors, and this particular one could go down as one of Caufield's most valuable cards from this edition of Credentials, considering that he didn't sign autographs for the set.
Comments