The Cup RC Checklist

[JoexBondo]

When was the rookie cut off date, I was sure Byron Bitz would have a Cup RC. Well at least Ill have something to look for in Black.

[LT21Titans27]

Gerbe and Kennedy??? NO WAY

[TMacfreak91]

If Tim Kennedy really is a Patch Auto RC I will be STOKED! It would be the first TK Auto OR GU for me to chase of his and I'm sure it'd be a great one :)

Steve

[RGM81]

For everybody ripping on UD for having so and so instead of so and so as an /99 RC - the checklist was drawn up in November. The Cup is their marquee product and it is developed months in advance to ensure that the design and everything goes into it is as close to flawless as possible.

In November, Steve Mason and Simeon Varlamov were non-issues. Varlamov wasn't even in the NHL and Mason was just starting to see action after the Leclaire injury. When the list was drawn up they simply didn't exist as considerations because they couldn't have. You can argue that as time went on it became abundantly clear that Mason was going to be the Calder winner - maybe they could have made an in-game adjustment on that one but it would have messed up the checklist and forced UD to re-print EVERY CARD IN THE SET because of it. If you look at Varlamov's season, if it weren't for Jose Three-Or-More stinking up the joint in game one of the playoffs, nobody would even care if he were in the set at all. There is simply no way they would have had the time to whip up the cards as an /99 with the patch and auto. So all this talk about Varlamov deserving to be an /99 needs to take a backseat and people need to realize that The Cup isn't designed in May.

Which does beg the question: why Pogge? If I had to wager a dollar, UD was expecting the Leafs to give him a crack once the team did its usual routine, he'd come through with flying colours, and all would be well. That obviously didn't happen. In hindsight the decision ranks right up there with Tlusty as a /99 in last year's Cup.

[roy.the.greatest]

It is totally UNACCEPTABLE to make the checklist in NOVEMBER for a product released in AUGUST. And they find a way to still have redemptions! The printing press should be active at beginning of May, UD should have representatives on the road to make sure all the cards are signed in person by athletes inside a 3 months range. This is how UD should make their finest product at $300/tin. They do not want to make this product flawless, so UD deserves the blame and to receive tomatoes from collectors.

[Lucscaps]

the first auto's of halishcuk, sweet.

guess if this was last year guys like leblond would be in there also.

[Crater_Satori]

Yeah Mason should have really gotten the nod over Pogge for a /99 !? Not sure I understand that. Only one Canuck rc to try and grab.

[RGM81]

It is totally UNACCEPTABLE to make the checklist in NOVEMBER for a product released in AUGUST. And they find a way to still have redemptions! The printing press should be active at beginning of May, UD should have representatives on the road to make sure all the cards are signed in person by athletes inside a 3 months range. This is how UD should make their finest product at $300/tin. They do not want to make this product flawless, so UD deserves the blame and to receive tomatoes from collectors.

Again, the intention was not to have the product released in August. They were hoping for early July - that didn't happen due to some marquee players being a little busy for pretty much all of May and the first half of June. The idea of sending out people all over North America and Europe to get the autographs is not responsible from an economic perspective - sure it'd be ducky if they had the people available to be jet-setting everywhere to collect signatures (I'd volunteer for it myself! LOL) but they don't. It's really easy to sit down and get mad at Upper Deck because of stuff like this, but do you think it's easy for them to have to get in touch and schedule autograph sessions with people who scatter all over the world when their season is over? Further, if you want to avoid redemptions, do you really think it would be plausible to start printing the set in May for a July release? Let's get serious here! It's a dream world if you really think that they'd be able to get several dozen people--all of whom have other demands on their time, be it playing games, charity events, enjoying their summers, and whatever else it is that hockey players do when they're not actually playing hockey--rounded up to sign several thousand autographs over the course of 8 weeks to have the product released in July. It's not remotely plausible to be asking that of them - the logistics are just too great.

I'm all for being critical of Upper Deck where it is warranted. I've been on them for taking months to fulfill redemptions or replace damaged products, I've been on them for taking until the end of the season to release the Artifacts list, I've been on them for churning out too much product without enough originality. But this is one scenario where the criticisms are not justifiable. Either you want this to be a premier product, which means putting in a premium amount of time, planning, and thought, or you want it to be treated as though it's just another release that can be rattled off the lines over the course of a couple weeks that is riddled with redemptions and other issues. You can't have it both ways.

[ComancheKeen]

I truly do not believe the RC /99 checklist was constructed and finalized in November and here is one reason why. Derick Brassard, led all rookies in scoring until mid-December when he got hurt (Rookie of the Month in October as well). Maybe he was scrapped at the last second because of the injury? Oh well, saves me a ton of money for a great patch.

Pogge, a joke. Loved him when he played for the Hitmen, but come on, this is because the leaf fans will gobble up anything put in front of them. Even Schenn is borderline (2 goals with loads of ice time, Doughty had double the points Schenn did), but he has gotten tons of hype thanks to the Toronto media so let it be. Of course Mason should have taken Pogge's spot but in reality pretty much anyone from Columbus could have taken a spot.

For what its worth, here is my list of who should be /99

Stamkos (impossible not to include)
Mason (see above)
Wheeler (whoever thinks he is borderline is crazy, played for a good team and also got almost 50 points)
Brassard (25 points in 30 games on a weak team at the time, Voracek even deserves to be here with nearly 40 points)
Doughty (An amazing all around player, insane vision)
Schenn (Has lots of pressure and had a decent year for all the attention. Still might not be worthy of /99 but it bumps the value of the product up and his cards are holding there value it seems)

With that all said, I won't be busting any this year since I can probably pick up every single I want for the price of one tin or less. Looking forward to seeing the complete checklists for Limited Logos and the Draft Boards.

[Scottsdale7711]

Concerning this whole "checklist in November" thing, If #73 is Derek Joslin of San Jose, he did not debut in the NHL until January 4.