Alexander Ovechkin Hockey Cards You Should Know About
Summary & Career Highlights
Rookie Year: 2005-06
Iconic Rookie Card: 2005-06 The Cup #179 Rookie Patch Auto OR 2005-06 Upper Deck #443 Young Guns
Highest Public Sale: 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup #179 Rookie Patch Auto for $182.4k in June 2023 on Goldin Auctions
Similar Career Players: Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, Evgeni Malkin, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne
Players with Similar Cards to Check Out: Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Zach Parise, Brent Seabrook, Ryan Whitney, Dion Phaneuf, Mikko Koivu,
Career Highlights
2017-18 Stanley Cup Winner
9x Rocket Richard Winner
3x Hart Trophy Winner (2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13)
2005-06 Calder Trophy Winner
9x NHL All Star
Iconic Cards
Icon Key
Prospective Card Cost:
💰 - Under $250
💰💰- Under $1,000
💰💰💰- Under $5,000
💰💰💰💰- Under $15,000
💰💰💰💰💰- Over $15,000
Rarity:
💎 - Common & High Serial Number
💎💎- Serial Numbered or Pop Under 200
💎💎💎 - Serial Numbered or Pop Under 100
💎💎💎💎 - Serial Number or Pop Under 50
💎💎💎💎💎 - Does this card even exist? Serial Number or Pop under 10
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2005-06 Black Diamond
#191
Prospective Card Cost: 💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Ovechkin does not have a chromium-based rookie card. 2005-06 was years before Upper Deck introduced OPC Platinum, so collectors looking for a chrome card had to look elsewhere. Enter Black Diamond. The full foil card is as close to a chrome Ovechkin rookie as you will get. His card #191 was part of the “Four Diamond” portion of the base checklist which was considered the most rare with 1:24 pack odds. Ovechkin’s Black Diamond was also released in four parallels: ruby numbered to 100, emerald numbered to 25, gold numbered to 10, and an onyx 1-of-1 parallel.
2005-06 Ice
#103 Ice Premiers /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: If your goal is to collect cards that make you feel like you are a part of the game, then check out Upper Deck Ice. Two-thirds of the checklist is printed on a clear acetate material that looks like ice! When it comes to the 2005-06 set, six rookies from the 268 card checklist, including Ovechkin and Crosby, were selected for the shortest-printed tier. The players in this tier had their base card serial-numbered to 99 copies, making it one of the rarest Ovechkin’s rookie base cards. Its not a card for everyone, but offers unique characteristics not many other cards are able to deliver.
2005-06 SP Authentic
#190 Future Watch Auto /999
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: The SP Future Watch Autograph (“FWA”) has been a standout card in Upper Deck releases since its debut in 2000-01. Despite a print run of 999, don't expect Ovechkin’s Future Watch Auto to be cheap; high grade copies sell regularly for five figures. Following the typical Future Watch Autograph aesthetic, Ovechkin’s 2005 FWA card leans towards a minimalist design. The blue highlight on the right side of the card gives it an extra pop of color. Ovechkin’s Future Watch autograph can be viewed as the mid-point between his more common and higher end offerings.
2005-06 SP Authentic
#RA-AO Rookie Authentics Auto /250
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Ovechkin’s Rookie Authentics Autograph is a great choice for fans of SP Authentic. It offers an alternative to his Future Watch Autograph for collectors looking for a lower print run or a card featuring an in-game action image. It doesn’t have the same name brand recognition as the Future Watch Auto, which means you can typically pick a copy up for a fraction of the price. The 30 card insert checklist also omitted Sidney Crosby. In a year where the duo had so many of the same cards, this is also an opportunity to grab something uniquely Ovechkin.
2005-06 SP Game Used
#RE-AO Rookie Exclusives /100
Prospective Card Cost: 💰-💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: SP Game Used lacks the brand premium that The Cup and SP Authentic hold. But marketing it as purely a game used undersells its variety. Ovechkin is featured across multiple memorabilia insert sets, autographed insert sets, and even has a base card numbered to 999 copies. Plenty in the product worth checking out, but one of the more well known inserts is Rookie Exclusives. Ovechkin’s Rookie Exclusives, serial numbered to 100, features a quirky fidget spinner-esque design and a very similar portrait image to his Future Watch Autograph. It was also released in a silver parallel numbered to 5.
2005-06 SPx
#190 Jersey Auto /499
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: SPx has origins tracing back to the mid 90’s. Back then it was known for its die cut designs and unique use of hologram printing technology. By the 2005-06 release, SPx still deployed its “High-tech” aesthetics, but offered collectors more autographs and memorabilia. This included Ovechkin’s entry to the base checklist: his Rookie Jersey Autograph serial numbered to 499. Its one of Ovechkin’s few base RPAs and makes great use of goil foil and holofoil throughout its design. SPx also released the “Spectrum” parallel which was numbered to 25 copies for collectors looking for something more rare.
2005-06 The Cup
#179 Rookie Patch Auto /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: 2003-04 Exquisite succeeded as a luxury card product because it provided a new product to an underserved market. The release just so happened to coincide with a once-in-a-generation level hype with LeBron James entering the league. But the NBA has a fan base, viewership, and spending power that dwarfed hockey’s. Could a luxury hockey product work? Were there fans willing to pay a premium for that level of product? The short answer is: emphatically yes. Much like what LeBron did for basketball in 2003, Ovechkin and Crosby did for hockey in 2005.
2005-06 The Cup
#HN-AO Honorable Numbers /8
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Ovechkin’s base jersey autograph was just the start of his appearance in 2005-06 The Cup. Upper Deck largely designed the set around Ovechkin and Crosby and ensured both players were widely featured. Ovechkin appeared in Signature Patches /75, Limited Logos /50, Emblems of Endorsement and Scripted Swatches both /15, and Honorable Numbers /8. All jersey autographs. All come with a different look and feel. The “best” is in the eye of the beholder. Ovechkin’s Honorable Numbers is the rarest of the bunch and features a patch window in the shape of the number 8.
2005-06 The Cup
#SP-AO Signature Patches /75
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: The third Ovechkin card from 2005-06 The Cup is his Signatures Patches. While Ovechkin’s Signature Patches is the most highly printed rookie patch autographs from The Cup at 75 copies, it sells much less frequently than its serial number leads on. There’s a strong collector base of The Cup’s first year and these cards tend not to leave collections once they find their way in. Its also the second largest insert checklist from The Cup’s debut with 83 players behind only Emblems of Endorsement which featured an 86 player checklist.
2005-06 Ultimate Collection
#92 Auto /299
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Ultimate Collection marked Upper Deck’s first foray into creating a luxury hockey product. Despite its premium price, each box contained only one pack with five cards, proving that collectors were willing to support high-end offerings. The set is most notable for its Ultimate Rookie autographs, with Ovechkin’s card being serial-numbered to 299 copies. Though it’s over three times rarer than the SP Authentic Future Watch autographs, it trades for a fraction of the price. Upper Deck also introduced a patch autograph parallel, numbered to 25, and a one-of-one shield autograph parallel.
2005-06 Ultimate Collection
#USAO Ultimate Signatures
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: While Ultimate Collection is most well known for the Ultimate Rookie Autograph and its parallels, the product is packed with insert autographs. The most notable insert set from the 2005-06 release is the 80 card Ultimate Signatures set. Packed with rookies, active players, and retired greats, the horizontally oriented insert autograph is a cheaper alternative to its base counterpart.
2005-06 Upper Deck
#443 Young Guns High Gloss /10
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Ovechkin’s Young Guns is a special card. Between PSA and BGS there are over 7,000 graded copies, yet they still carry four to five-figure price tags. Why? Because its a special card! For many collectors, Ovechkin’s Young Guns is his rookie card. In this case, the demand is greater than the supply and has been for almost two decades. Iconic gets thrown around a lot (We’re guilty of it here), but this is a card fitting of the title. If you collect rare cards, Upper Deck released a high gloss parallel serial numbered to 10 copies (shown here) - a special version of an iconic card.
2009-10 Ultra E-X
#JAM1 Jambalaya
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: Jambalaya inserts first appeared in 1997-98 E-X2001 basketball, created by Skybox and Arena Design. Known for their rarity, lenticular die-cut design, and a star-studded checklist featuring players like Michael Jordan, they quickly became one of the most lucrative inserts of the '90s. After Upper Deck acquired Fleer in 2005, they brought back some of these popular designs, starting with Ultra and Jambalaya inserts. Like the '90s version, the 2005-06 hockey Jambalaya set featured an extremely rare, lenticular die-cut design. With Gretzky's absence from the checklist, either Ovechkin or Crosby are the most desirable player in the set.
2012-13 Fleer Retro
#16 Precious Metal Gems Green /10
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: There is a chasm between hockey collectors. While some collectors may dismiss retro designs as uninspired imitations, others are captivated by them, enjoying the surge of nostalgia that comes along with each pickup. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, we can all agree that Upper Deck made a big move when they brought back Skybox’s iconic 90’s designs in 2012-13 Fleer Retro. Among the set’s most popular retro designs were the green Precious Metal Gems (PMGs). They were the highest-selling basketball and football cards of the 90’s so it seems fitting that trend would continue for the hockey release. Ovechkin, Crosby, and Gretzky are the most sought-after players in the 60-card insert set. In addition to the green, PMG’s were also released in red and blue parallels which were serial numbered to 100 and 50 copies respectively.
2012-13 Prizm
#50 Prizm Gold /10
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Panini’s foray into hockey cards was a brief but memorable one. They were granted a non-exclusive license from the NHL at the start of the 2010-11 season and produced cards until the end of the 2013-14 season when Upper Deck regained the exclusive NHL license. There are a lot of underrated and underappreciated Panini-era hockey cards, but the most recognizable has to be 2012-13 Prizm. The “First” Prizm hockey cards were released as an insert in 2012-13 Rookie Anthology. Prizm’s popularity earned them their own standalone set in 2013-14. Pictured here is Ovechkin’s 2012-13 Prizm Gold /10 which is the most rare of the set. Ovechkin’s rarest Prizm is the 2013-14 Prizm Finite 1/1.
A Few of My Favorites
The 2004-05 NHL lockout set the stage for two all-time greats to go head-to-head for the Calder Trophy. Alex Ovechkin, the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and Sidney Crosby, the top pick in 2005, entered the league together due to the lockout delaying Ovechkin’s rookie season. Upper Deck seized this moment to create a portfolio of products centered around these two generational stars. Naturally, collectors expected their dual autographs to be among the most valuable cards. Surprisingly, though, no Ovechkin/Crosby dual autograph cards exist. Crosby's camp tightly controlled his autograph agreements, only allowing him to sign dual autos with Wayne Gretzky at the time. Later, that list expanded to include Mario Lemieux and Connor McDavid. Despite the absence of Ovechkin/Crosby dual signatures, there are still some exceptional memorabilia cards from this era that deserve recognition.
2005-06 The Cup
#DNNCO Notable Numbers Crosby/Ovechkin /10
Why It's a Favorite: While Upper Deck couldn’t produce dual autographed cards featuring both Ovechkin and Crosby, there were no contractual restrictions on dual memorabilia cards. However, the limited availability of game-used patches restricted the number of cards Upper Deck could produce. As a result, only two dual memorabilia cards featuring the two stars were released in the 2005-06 The Cup, with a few more issued across other 2005-06 Upper Deck products. The two cards from The Cup were the Dual NHL Shield 1/1 and the Dual Notable Numbers, numbered to just 10 copies. While both are significant, I personally prefer the Dual Notable Numbers due to its connection to the broader set’s design and aesthetic over the dual shields.
2006-07 The Cup
#LL-AO Limited Logos /50
Why It's a Favorite: The Cup’s 2005-06 Limited Logos were ugly. And problematic. Colors clashed and the design did nothing to make collectors feel like they had just pulled a high-end card. Not to mention, the printer used a glossy card stock on the front of the card that resulted in autographs bubbling. I try to forget about the iconic insert’s debut, and look to the second year design as the standard. Limited Logo’s 06-07 refreshed design evokes high-end heavy machinery. I love the rivets, depth, and layering of this card. Give me 06-07 over 05-06 any day!
2006-07 The Cup
#DSH-CO Dual NHL Shields Crosby/Ovechkin 1/1
Why It's a Favorite: The Ovechkin and Crosby Dual NHL Shield 1/1 cards from the 2005-06 and 2006-07 The Cup releases couldn’t be more different. The 2005-06 version suffered from weak typography, poor photo choices, and the questionable inclusion of the green and orange Upper Deck logo, making it feel disconnected from the broader set’s design. In contrast, the 2006-07 release significantly improved upon these elements. It featured better photo selection, swapped the green Upper Deck logo for a more refined black-and-white version, and incorporated the rivet design used elsewhere in the set. The result is a standout card that truly shines in Ovechkin’s early card offerings.
2009-10 The Cup
#HH-AO Hardware Heroes /2
Why It's a Favorite: First introduced in the inaugural release of The Cup, Hardware Heroes is one of the rarest insert sets in the product's history. The set typically featured a short checklist, with cards short-printed based on the number of times a player won a major trophy, such as the Hart, Calder, Vezina, or Art Ross. Alex Ovechkin made his debut in the set with a 1/1 card in The Cup's 2007-08 release, commemorating his Calder Trophy win. Although Upper Deck skipped the set in 2008-09, Ovechkin returned in the 2009-10 release with a card honoring his two Hart Trophy wins at the time. Shown here are both of Ovechkin's Hart Trophy Hardware Heroes cards. The insert set was discontinued after 2010-11, but it remains an elusive and highly sought-after series for collectors of ultra-short-printed cards from The Cup.
2013-14 National Treasures
#H-OVI Treasured Trophies Hart Gold 1/1
Why It's a Favorite: 2013-14 National Treasures had an extensive checklist, and unfortunately, it included quite a few filler hits. But you got to give it to Panini, they delivered an incredible insert set with the Treasured Trophies autograph cards. Similar to Upper Deck's The Cup Hardware Heroes, Panini created these Treasured Trophies autographs to honor major NHL awards such as the Art Ross, Calder, Conn Smythe, Hart, Lady Byng, Norris, Selke, and Vezina trophies. Each set featured 10 players, with base versions limited to just 25 copies, along with a one-of-one gold parallel. Alex Ovechkin's Treasured Trophies Hart Gold one-of-one (pictured here) is a prime example of this set’s beauty. Ovechkin was also included in the gold parallel checklist for the Calder and Art Ross trophies.
Honorable Mentions
2005-06 Fleer Hot Prospects #275 Red Hot Patch Auto /50
2005-06 SP Authentic #MD-AO Marks of Distinction Auto /25
2005-06 Ultra #252
2005-06 Ultra #252 Gold Medallion
2005-06 Ultra #FI-AO Fresh Ink Auto
2005-06 Upper Deck Bee Hive #102 Red
2009-10 SP Game Used #FS-AO Fight Straps /10
2011-12 Panini Dominion #49 Had It Stamped It 1/1
2013-14 National Treasures #H-OVI Treasured Trophies
2013-14 Select #46
2013-14 Select #46 Red Prizm /35
2014-15 OPC Platinum #115 Seismic Gold /50
2017-18 Upper Deck #443 Retro Young Gun Acetate
2018-19 Upper Deck #F-31 Fanimation
2021-22 The Cup #DC-AO Day with the Cup Auto
2022-23 SP Authentic #190 Retro Acetate Future Watch
Huge thanks to @OvechkinTheGreat8 for letting us use some pictures from his incredible collection. Make sure to check his IG profile out if you'd like to see the world's greatest Ovechkin collection!
Have another card you think deserves an honorable mention? Let us know on IG @TheSmarterCollector!