Bubble Boys: Upper Deck Given Special Exception for Rookies in 2020-21 Hockey Products

Hockey’s power brokers have demonstrated their creativity in staging postseason games while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Upper Deck revealed that they are being equally flexible in order to keep the hobby strong.

“The NHLPA has given us the green light to include players on checklists for 2020-21 products who are rostered in the NHL Bubble, but have yet to skate in an NHL game,” Upper Deck spokesman Chris Carlin told Beckett Hockey.

The list of 41 eligible players includes a number of first-round picks with premium hobby potential, including Bowen Byram (Colorado, 4th, 2019), Peyton Krebs (19th, Vegas, 2019), Jake Oettinger (Dallas, 26th, 2017), Thomas Harley (Dallas, 18th, 2019), and Connor McMichael (Washington, 25th, 2019).

Also included are a handful of players who have skated, including promising Toronto winger Nick Robertson, who led the Canadian Hockey League with 55 goals in 46 games, and Alex Belzile, the inspiring 28-year-old forward who made his NHL debut in Montreal’s qualifying round clincher against Pittsburgh after eight seasons in the minors. Reid Duke, the first player ever signed by the Golden Knights, also makes the list.

Each of the following players is set to make his debut in 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1.

Rookies Eligible for 2020-21 Upper Deck Hockey Products:

Alexander Alexeyev, Washington Capitals
Alex Belzile, Montreal Canadiens
Mikhail Berdin, Winnipeg Jets
Shane Bowers, Colorado Avalanche
Philip Broberg, Edmonton Oilers
Brayden Burke, Arizona Coyotes
Bowen Byram, Colorado Avalanche
Jalen Chatfield, Vancouver Canucks
Dylan Coghlan, Vegas Golden Knights
Brandon Crawley, New York Rangers
Ty Dellandrea, Dallas Stars
Philippe Desrosiers, Florida Panthers
Reid Duke, Vegas Golden Knights
MacKenzie Entwistle, Chicago Blackhawks
Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars
Connor Ingram, Nashville Predators
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Pittsburgh Penguins
Oleg Juolevi, Vancouver Canucks
Vitali Kravtsov, New York Rangers
Peyton Krebs, Vegas Golden Knights

Philipp Kurashev, Chicago Blackhawks
Kevin Lankinen, Chicago Blackhawks
Emil Larmi, Pittsburgh Penguins
Philippe Maillet, Washington Capitals
Ryan McLeod, Edmonton Oilers
Connor McMichael, Washington Capitals
Michael McNiven, Montreal Canadiens
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Brian Pinho, Washington Capitals
Chase Priskie, Florida Panthers
Darren Raddysh, New York Rangers
Alec Regula, Chicago Blackhawks
Nicholas Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs
Mat Robson, Minnesota Wild
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Victor Soderstrom, Arizona Coyotes
Kirill Ustimenko, Philadelphia Flyers
Vitek Vanecek, Washington Capitals
Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs
Artem Zagidulin, Calgary Flames
Yegor Zamula Philadelphia Flyers