Top 5 most valuable hockey cards
Our list of valuable hockey cards rank each player’s most valuable card by its highest verified sales. So, with that said, what is the most expensive hockey card? The answer has been the same since 2021, and you’ll find it in the table below.
| Rank | Card | Highest Sale | Estimated Value | Most recent sale | Grade |
| 1 | 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky RC | $3,750,000 | $3.75 million | $3,750,000 (May 2021, private sale) | PSA 10 |
| 2 | 2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns Outburst Gold #451 Macklin Celebrini RC (1/1) | $1,281,000 | $1.28 million | $1,281,000 (Aug 2026) | PSA Authentic |
| 3 | 2015-16 Upper Deck The Cup #197 Connor McDavid Rookie Patch Auto (/99) | $405,000 (C$571,000) | $264,000–$405,000 | $405,000 (Dec 2025) | PSA 10 |
| 4 | 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup Gold Rainbow #179 Alex Ovechkin Rookie Patch Auto (/8) | $381,000 | ~$381,000 | $381,000 (Apr 2025) | BGS 8 (Auto 10) |
| 5 | 1966-67 Topps #35 Bobby Orr RC | $276,000 | $276,000 | $276,000 (Feb 2021) | BVG 10 Pristine |
Card Profiles: An in-depth look at the most valuable hockey cards today
Here is a more detailed look at each of the most valuable cards:
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18 ($3.75 Million)
This is the most expensive hockey card ever sold. In May 2021, Heritage Auctions announced a private sale of $3.75 million for one of the only two copies grades PSA 10. That was more than double the amount paid for the other PSA 10, 10 months earlier, which was $1.29 million. It’s even more impressive when you find that the card had sold for $465,000 in 2016.
The next question people mostly ask is why is it that expensive? Well, condition explains that. O-Pee-Chee, the Canadian partner of Topps, cut its sheets with wire and used rougher stocks, different from the normal ones. So you see that their cards have chipped edges with poor centering. But out of roughly 15,009 cards graded by the PSA, only two have been graded 10s.
As for the photo on the card, it was taken in November 1978, during a World Hockey Association game when Gretzky played for the Edmonton Oilers. So it is safe to say that the picture itself is iconic.
2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns Outburst Gold Macklin Celebrini (1/1) ($1.281 Million)
In August 2026, a one-of-one Macklin Celebrini Rookie closed at $1,281,000 in Goldin’s monthly sports elite auction. This is the highest public price ever paid for a hockey card without Gretzky on it. $9,000 more, and it’ll have broken the auction record of his O-Pee-Chee set from 2020.
How it happened that a collector got the card from a single hobby box near Chicago in July 2026. He then turned down a C$600,000 offer on it and sent it to auction instead. The bidding opened at $15,000 and $200,000 within two days, making it a unique case. Usually, most packs hold cards worth just a fraction of the box price.
It is also a valuable card because of its rarity. Upper Deck only added the Outburst Gold one-of-one to its Young Guns set in 2023-24. Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, followed a 63-point rookie season with 45 goals and 115 points. In fact, the PSA authenticated the card without assigning a numerical grade.
2015-16 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid Rookie Patch Auto (/99) (About $405,000)
McDavid’s rookie patch autograph from The Cup is the benchmark modern hockey card. A PSA 10 copy of the card sold for C$571,000 in December 2025, which is roughly $405,000.
The Cup became a thing in 2005-06, recognized as hockey’s first luxury product, with six-card tins priced at $350. Then, Upper Deck short-printed its top rookies to 99 copies rather than the usual 249 and paired an on-card signature with a multi-color patch. Only three copies have graded PSA 10, and two sold within two weeks of each other in late 2025, at $264,000 and about $405,000.
McDavid reached 1,000 points in 659 games, the fourth-fastest in league history. His true one-of-one, a 2015-16 Ultimate Collection card with an event-used NHL shield patch, sold for $305,000 in May 2025.
2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup Gold Rainbow Alex Ovechkin Rookie Patch Auto (/8) ($381,000)
Ovechkin’s Gold Rainbow rookie patch autograph broke the modern-era high in April 2025, selling for $381,000 at Sotheby’s Timeless Titans auction.
Gold Rainbow parallels are numbered to the player’s jersey number, so only eight exist, and this copy is stamped 8/8. Timing was also a big factor in this record because the sale came weeks after Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on April 6, 2025 to pass Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. That alone more than doubled his previous high of $182,400.
Even better, that record goal too has a card of its own. A 2024-25 The Cup one-of-one carrying a game-used NHL shield patch and the inscription “895 #1 All-Time Goals” sold for $256,000 at Sotheby’s in July 2026, his second-highest public sale.
1966-67 Topps Bobby Orr #35 ($276,000)
Before Gretzky, Bobby Orr was the main guy. He was the defenseman who redefined what his position could do. His 1966-67 Topps rookie, framed in the set’s wood-grain television borders, sold for $276,000 as a Beckett Pristine 10 in February 2021.
The borders chip at the slightest handling, and PSA alone has graded close to 1,500 copies, so grade decides almost everything. Orr won eight straight Norris Trophies from 1968 to 1975 and scored the overtime goal that won the 1970 Stanley Cup.
How we ranked these hockey cards
To rank the most expensive hockey cards, we worked through six main criteria:
- Verified auction sales: We prefer to look for sales from Heritage, Goldin, Fanatics Collect, Sotheby’s and Robert Edward Auctions. We also look out for private deals when brokers announce the price of a card. That is the best way to get the legit ones.
- Current estimated market value: This is usually tied to the most recent sale of the same card in the same grade. It gives the most accurate value.
- Historical significance: Looking at history helps us with context, and in case of a tie-breaker, we use it to choose the best possible option.
- Scarcity:
Obviously, the more scarce it is, the more the value. Our measure of scarcity is done through population reports and serial numbering.
- Professional grading: We specifically look out for those with “Authentic” meaning verified but not numbered.
- Reliable collector sources:
Auction archives and established hobby press are reliable sources that point us to the right direction.
Note that different guides may use different grading systems. Ours is based on each player’s single most valuable card because we found that to be more reliable. If it were about price alone, then the Topps Gretzky would be third. We also take the same approach in our guides to the
most valuable trading cards. Most importantly, since the most valuable hockey cards trade so rarely and values fluctuate over time, we refresh this page after each auction season.
Top tips for true hockey card collectors
Here are a few habits to keep in mind if you want your card in good shape. They’ll also work for your
most valuable football cards, so keep that in mind.
🏒 Making the most of card break reviews
In
hockey card rips, the host usually opens sealed boxes on a livestream while buyers hold sports, and you receive the cards that match your spot. It also makes it easier to compare spot prices with box costs while keeping an eye on things like transparency and stream quality. Just remember that every break is random, so set a budget beforehand and treat it as entertainment.
💰 How grading affects card price
PSA, Beckett, and SGC grade on a ten-point scale, and an “Authentic” label means a card was verified but not necessarily numbered. By looking at the records, you can see the difference between the grades. For example, the Gretzky O-Pee-Chee sold for $3.75 million as a PSA 10, while PSA 9 copies traded between $107,000 and $116,000 in March 2026, and PSA 8s are usually near $18,000. So, the difference is more significant than people think.
🛡️ Keeping your cards in good condition
To keep your cards in good shape, take note of these:
- Sleeve each card
- Add a top loader or magnetic holder
- Use semi-rigid holders for grading submissions
For handling cards, do it by the edges with clean, dry hands and store them upright somewhere cool, dark, and dry.
Just like the
most valuable baseball cards, it is always a better idea to work from sold prices rather than asking prices. Then, eBay’s sold listings show the list price on best-offer deals, so you can use a platform like 130point to know what buyers actually paid.
📜 Difference between modern and vintage cards
Know the difference between vintage and modern cards. Vintage cards are generally from before 1980 and are often harder to find in good condition. Modern cards create scarcity in different ways, using serial numbers, one-of-one parallels, autographs, and memorabilia patches. Modern card values can also shift with player performance, as seen in guides to the
most valuable basketball cards.
Verdict: Are hockey cards worth it
The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky RC still remains the most expensive hockey card in history, and nothing even comes close for now. Each of the top cards that keep making history are there for a reason. For most, it has to do with rarity, but the story behind it plays a big part too. However you view it, remember that price is always moving, so treat our ranking as a moment in time and just enjoy the history behind each of them. Want to check out more card breaks and rip sites? Take a look at the banners around this page for our latest recommendations.
FAQs about the hockey cards
🏒 What is the most expensive hockey card in the world?
The most expensive hockey card in the world is the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18 in PSA 10. It was sold privately for $3.75 million in May 2021 through Heritage Auctions.
💰 What hockey cards are worth it for a new collector?
Honestly, it depends on what you enjoy. The values always rise and fall, so don’t follow any “template.” Best put, just collect something you truly enjoy looking at.
✨ What is the most valuable modern hockey card?
That would be Celebrini’s 2024-25 Young Guns Outburst Gold one-of-one at $1.281 million.
