The 5 best looking inserts in 2024/25 Upper Deck The Cup

Is there a better time of the year for hockey card collectors than the release of Upper Deck’s The Cup? Even if you aren’t buying for yourself personally, it is hard to not be mesmerized by all of the illustrious autographs and low-numbered inserts that come out of it, just by watching breaks or box opening videos.     

The Cup as it is can be a lot to take in and the impression that the whole display of it can leave on you can almost blind you to how good some of the individual cards are, so I am going to show off my favorite inserts that can be found through the years of Upper Deck’s The Cup.

Expanded Materials

It is hard to talk about The Cup without talking about the patches that Upper Deck includes in it. For all The Cup has going right for it, the patches and memorabilia are near the top of the list, and that’s going to be a common theme here. The Expanded Materials insert, as shown here, is just one example of how they not only select good patches to put in the cards, but the placement of those patches is also second to none. 

Limited Logos

In the same vein of Expanded Materials is Limited Logos, which has mixed up the design in 24/25 The Cup compared to previous years. 

Something about the autograph on the side of the card going vertical instead of horizontal makes it more visually appealing, and once again the placement and selection of the patches they use just hits. Showing off the eye of the Hurricane on this Seth Jarvis card is an excellent stylistic choice. 

Autographed Monumental Puck

New to 24/25 The Cup, and among the rarest things to hit, are the Autographed Monumental Puck Booklets. These are actual pieces of pucks that are game dated and game used that they put in the cards. These are only available as 1/1s, meaning that they are going to be incredibly scarce to see, but for those lucky enough to see them, they will certainly stand out as memorable. 

Signature Renditions

Signature Renditions was my favorite insert set heading into this year, and while it has been supplanted, it is still an excellent design. Artistic interpretations of actual photographs are always a welcome mix up when looking through a collection of cards and Signature Renditions does it right. There are always a few variations too, including Retirement and Combos, but they always knock this insert out of the park and it has been a longstanding success.

Elegant Etchings 

I personally am a sucker for pencil sketch designs on cards, and this is about the only thing that could top Signature Renditions from the top of the list. There is a base Elegant Etchings insert that is numbered to /199 but once every nine boxes of the Cup on average you will get an autographed version and man these are clean. The little bit of color added by the ink on the autograph stands out so well and the rough pencil design doesn’t even trade aesthetic for detail. This is just about the perfect insert and a truly welcome addition to this year’s rendition of the highest end hockey product. 

The Cup is, rightfully, a highlight release of the year for everyone from serious collectors to just hockey fans who enjoy watching openings. It stands alone as the highest end of hockey, and the aura that it brings with it makes it fitting for it to share a name with the most prized trophy in the NHL.