The 2009-10 NHL® season is in full swing and once again several upstart rookies are showcasing their on-ice talents. Freshmen centers like Matt Duchene (Colorado) and John Tavares (NY Islanders), as well as first-year netminder Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson (Toronto) are making their collective presence felt with some outstanding outings in the early going. To keep an eye on these future NHL stars, Upper Deck has developed a new hockey website designed to get collectors guessing and give them a chance to earn prizes for figuring out which of the rookies will emerge as standout performers. Collectors who enter codes from the backs of any 2009-10 Upper Deck NHL rookie cards for the first-year player who is deemed Upper Deck’s “Rookie of the Month” will be entered into a drawing to win a box of 2009-10 Upper Deck NHL cards.

“Every year, rookies are always the top driver for hockey card enthusiasts so we felt it was critical to come up with a platform that allows collectors to interact with the cards like never before,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s sports marketing manager. “To allow our customers to look at scheduled match-ups for the month and make an educated guess as to which rookie will have the best performance during that 30-day span will certainly keep interest levels high.”

Hockey fans can currently enter codes from any of Upper Deck’s 2009-10 NHL rookie cards for the player they think will have the best overall performance for December by visiting http://sports.upperdeck.com/hockey. Upper Deck will reveal the “Rookie of the Month” on Monday, January 4, and any collector who entered card codes of that player during December will be entered into the monthly drawing. Collectors can then begin entering codes for January (winner will be revealed in early February) and the promotion will run for the remainder of the NHL regular season.

The site it not just about the “Rookie of the Month” promotion, as it also features a revamped rookie card management system that allows collectors to track which cards they have and what cards they need from any of Upper Deck’s 2009-10 NHL products. The website also spotlights new NHL products, features new video interviews with different rookies every month and has direct links to Upper Deck’s NHL blog and forums as well.

“We felt it was necessary to incorporate new technology and provide our collectors with tools and interactive features that enhance their collecting experience,” added Carlin. “This robust website is yet another example of Upper Deck’s drive to bring innovative new programs to the industry. We launched a similar website for this season’s NFL rookies in September and that one’s been a great success. We expect our hockey hybrid to do just as well.”




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