In every new market, there comes a time when those who are paying attention and those who aren’t start to differ in important ways. In the world of trading cards, that moment for women’s hockey may already be here, but most collectors won’t know about it because it’s happening in the background.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League and Upper Deck announced earlier this year that they would be working together on trading cards for a long time. This made what seemed like an inevitable partnership official. Even though the PWHL had only been around for nine weeks, a game between Toronto and Montreal in February at Scotiabank Arena had already drew 19,285 fans, which was the most ever for a women’s hockey game. Not only did that number beat all professional records, it also beat all records for the largest crowd in women’s hockey, including those at the Olympics and the World Championships. That’s not a niche sport that draws people in. That is not at all the same thing.
Upper Deck’s response was to give away a free digital card set with names of hockey players like Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Abby Roque. These are names that hockey fans know. It was a soft opening on March 8, which is International Women’s Day. But what happened next in the real market was not soft at all.
On the secondary market, some key cards from early PWHL releases have been going for four figures. Some high-end Marie-Philip Poulin Young Guns parallels and limited inserts have been said to be close to or more than $5,000. In a hobby where demand usually follows visibility by months or years, this feels incredibly fast. It’s still not clear if this is the start of a long-term trend or just an early spike due to novelty.
Poulin is most likely the most obvious reason for this. In February, she tied for the league lead with 17 points and led a Montreal team that was in first place. She talked about seeing little kids holding signs in the stands after the record-setting Toronto game. She said it felt strange at the time. That level of sincerity comes through. When it comes to sports, collectors know when they’re getting an early start on a big name. Poulin is that kind of player—a player from a generation at the center of a league that is still finding its feet.
It seems like the hobby is finally catching up to what the sport has been building up slowly. Women’s Olympic hockey has long had some of the most exciting moments in international competition. Players like Poulin and Knight have been able to compete on a global level, which is something that most professional women’s athletes in North America have never been able to do. Being seen makes something familiar, and in the world of collecting, familiarity leads to demand.
Right now, it’s not just the prices that are interesting about women’s hockey cards. It’s the source. Early production runs are small because the product is still new and hasn’t reached the mainstream hobby community yet. Anyone who has seen another part of the market, like rookie cards, niche sports, or international players, go from being ignored to being overpriced knows what that can mean. It’s really not clear if things will go that way here. Things are set up for it, though.
Upper Deck’s official partnership with the PWHL is important for more reasons than just licensing. It means permanence. Some collectors think that a card is worth keeping because it is official and backed by an institution. If a trading card company doesn’t believe in a league, it won’t sign an exclusive deal with them for several years.
Right now, women’s hockey cards are the best-kept secret in the collectibles market. This isn’t because the sport is hiding something, but because most hobbyists haven’t looked yet. There really are a lot of people. The players are the best. The cards are already moving. It doesn’t stay quiet for long when those two things are together.
