logo
ISA Grading Advertisement

Is Topps Making Hockey Cards Again? Sort Of.

* We may earn a commission from purchases made through our affiliate links.

topps-emanate-hockey.png

Topps hasn’t released a traditional hockey trading card set in over 20 years—not since the 2003-04 season. Since then, Upper Deck has held the exclusive NHL license, producing all officially licensed hockey cards.

But now, Topps is sliding back into the rink—just not in the way collectors might expect.

On April 3, Fanatics is set to launch Topps Under Wraps: Emanate 2024-25, a new hockey-focused product. It’s not a card set in the usual sense. Instead, it features oversized 8x10 autographed photos that are designed to look like trading cards, complete with player images on the front and biographical information on the back.

“Heck, these even have photos and information on the back,” noted collector and dealer Sal Barry in his PuckJunk.com newsletter. “They’re basically giant trading cards.”

Each Emanate piece is hard-signed—no sticker autographs—and includes a serial number and authenticity hologram. The prints come encased in a premium magnetic folio, ready for display.

Collectors can chase six tiers of rarity:

  • Gold (/50)
  • Orange (/25)
  • Blue (/10)
  • Red (/5)
  • Iridescent (1/1)
Over 70 players are included on the checklist, spanning all 32 NHL teams. The lineup features current stars like Connor Bedard, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Igor Shesterkin, and Macklin Celebrini, as well as legends like Alexander Ovechkin and Mark Messier.

There are also multi-autograph editions, including ultra-rare signed and inscribed versions. Among the most talked-about is a 1-of-1 triple-signed photo featuring Ovechkin, Bedard, and Matthews.

Boxes contain one signed photo and retail for $130.

So, while this isn’t a full-blown return to licensed hockey cards, Emanate does mark a creative reentry into the hockey space for Topps. And with Fanatics continuing to reshape the hobby landscape, this might just be a preview of what’s ahead.

Share:

PWCC Auction Advertisement

0 Comments

Related

Sports Card News

PSA Reveals Comic and Magazine Grading Prices Ahead of July Launch


  • bionic Avatar
  • by bionic
  • July 3, 2025, 9:31 pm

PSA Reveals Comic and Magazine Grading Prices Ahead of July Launch


PSA is preparing to enter the comic book and magazine grading market, and collectors now have a clear picture of what submission costs and timelines will look like. The company announced its official pricing tiers and turnaround estimates this week, wit...

Read More

Pokémon Leads the Charge as Grading Submissions Skyrocket in 2025


  • bionic Avatar
  • by bionic
  • June 29, 2025, 9:15 pm

Pokémon Leads the Charge as Grading Submissions Skyrocket in 2025


The trading card landscape continues to shift in 2025, with Pokémon cards dominating grading submissions across the industry. According to the latest data from GemRate, non-sports and TCG cards now account for nearly 60% of all cards graded through the...

Read More

Trading Card Market Hits Record $305 Million in June, Driven by eBay and Grading Surge


  • bionic Avatar
  • by bionic
  • July 1, 2025, 9:10 pm

Trading Card Market Hits Record $305 Million in June, Driven by eBay and Grading Surge


The trading card industry saw a historic surge in June, with collectors spending more than $305 million across eBay, auction houses, and marketplaces—a new single-month record for the hobby. According to Card Ladder, which tracks market data across t...

Read More