Some of those in attendance at the 2017 NHL China Games™ had never seen a professional hockey game before, let alone NHL® trading cards. Can you imagine??? With some help from Upper Deck’s Chinese distributor Shanghai Ruika, we were able to give ticket holders a great experience and a fun souvenir to take home from the game!

Upper Deck supported the NHL’s initiative in China with an incredible booth full of authentic hockey memorabilia and collectibles, including a full set of NHL trading cards.

A surprising number of fans from across North America were in attendance to support their teams and these fans were thrilled to see Upper Deck’s presence at the games.

The real thrill however came from engaging fans that never had to the opportunity to experience Upper Deck trading cards. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and by the time the game went into overtime in Beijing, the stacks of hockey card boxes we began the game with had all sold out!

Meanwhile, a few passionate collectors in attendance showed the newbies how to really rip packs and shared the thrill of pulling some great insert cards!

One of the most popular activations at the 2017 NHL China Games™ was Upper Deck’s personalized phoot station where fans braved long lines to get their very own Upper Deck card image printed right on site!

The education continued in the arena as Upper Deck printed tens of thousands of Chinese language guides that included details about the game of hcokey and collecting NHL® trading cards. The guides were distributed to everyone in attendance. Also included in the guide was a limited-edition eight-card sheet featuring some of the league’s top stars.

It was awesome to see so many fans diving into these as they watched the action on the ice!

One of the real draws for fans at the China Games was the impressive collection of Upper Deck Authenticated signed memorabilia that was on display at the games.

Countless fans and collectors posed for photos with this collectible version of the Stanley Cup. Even though they knew it was a replica, they loved Wayne Gretzky’s authentic signature on the cup!

Fans were really impressed with the Tegata signed handprint piece from Upper Deck Authenticated. Many pressed their palms to the glass to see how they matched up to iconic players like Wayne Gretzky.

Upper Deck’s booth was jam packed with ticket holders trying to grab photos of some of the cool authentic autographed memorabilia on display. We were proud to see so many new Chinese NHL fans make the transformation from fan to collector right before our eyes!

Upper Deck even had a jumbotron spot at the China Games talking up the company’s line of authentic signed memorabilia.

Thanks to everyone who made the NHL China Games™ such a huge success. It was great to spend time with so many new collectors during the event! To purchase Upper Deck Authenticated memorabilia and Upper Deck trading card products in China, please visit www.963.com.