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Artifacts arrives right as everyone is itching for puck drop, and it leans into what the brand does best, a multi tier base build, a steady stream of autographs and memorabilia, and a rookie program that keeps the checklist current even before the season settles. Hobby boxes carry eight packs with four cards in each, and across a box you can expect three total autographs, memorabilia cards, or premium tech inserts, four serial numbered base cards or base parallels, and either one Rookie Redemption or one acetate insert, which means the eight notable cards line up neatly with the eight packs.

The base set spans 250 cards and breaks into six sections that make the hunt feel intentional. You start with 100 traditional base cards, then move into Stars numbered to 699 in spots 101 through 135, Goalies also to 699 from 136 through 150, Legends to 599 from 151 through 170, and Rookies to 999 from 171 through 200, followed by Rookie Redemptions in the 201 through 250 range. The first 200 cards carry a deep ladder of numbered parallels that gives player collectors plenty to chase, Sky Blue appears as a blaster exclusive, Ruby is numbered to 599, Lime Green to 125, Jade Green is another blaster exclusive to 100, Platinum Sparkle to 99, Copper to 75, Yellow to 50, Metallic Blue to 40, Pink to 35, Purple to 25, Rose Gold to 15, Emerald’s Glow to 10, Black to 5, and Masterful Artifacts at one of one. Selected base subjects branch into autograph and memorabilia versions in Gold, Emerald, Purple, and Black, with varied print runs that match the way Artifacts staggers its tiers.

Autographs and relics land at different rungs so you feel the mix from pack to pack. Easier pulls include NHL Remnants at about one in 30 packs, Auto Facts at one in 40, Threads of Time at one in 100, and the new History Lesson Signatures at one in 120, all of which can also be found in blasters at longer odds. History Lesson is a clever two card idea, one signed legend and one signed current star that align as a single image when placed side by side. Tougher finds push into Signature Apparel, Signs of Success, Top Tier Rookie Signatures at roughly one in 1,000 packs, Tundra Teammates Duos to 99, Desert Dogs Relics to 96, Tundra Teammates Quads to 49, Esteemed Endorsements to 28, Aurum Signatures to 25, Admirable Impressions to 24, and Jersey Retirement Night Ticket Relics to 10. There is also an arena history thread that gives the product a sense of place, the 2025–26 Arena Artifacts cards are numbered to 67 and celebrate the Colisée de Québec with legends who played there alongside a relic from the building, while Benchmark Autographs turn the spotlight to Madison Square Garden with hard signed cards that include material sourced from the visitor’s bench. New Puck Luck cards are numbered to 4 and carry a large slice of a game used, game dated puck for a tactile centerpiece.

Inserts come in several textures. Clear Cut Artifacts Rookie Update from the prior season appears about one in 40 packs and the 2025–26 Clear Cut Artifacts Rookies land around one in 54, both acetate. Antiquity and Antiquity Rookies bring a glass inspired aesthetic at about one in 80 and one in 160 respectively. The Aurum program returns as the bounty chase that has become a signature for Artifacts. Base Aurum inserts start at roughly one in 20 packs, then the rest of the 48 card Aurum set steps up in difficulty with SP Rookies Tier 1 around one in 100, SP Rookies Tier 2 around one in 150, SP Greats All Stars around one in 240, and SP Greats around one in 300. Each Aurum card carries a scratch off code, and collectors who register all 48 at UpperDeckBounty.com receive cards 49 and 50, with extra rewards for speed, the first three to finish earn a 12 card Aurum set plus one Aurum Autograph and one Aurum Dual Autograph, the next seven receive the 12 card Aurum set and one Aurum Autograph, the next 15 receive the 12 card Aurum set, and everyone else who completes the chase gets only cards 49 and 50.

Rookie Redemptions remain the solution to the NHL’s rule that a player must skate in a regular season game before appearing on a card. Artifacts plants team based and wild card redemptions into boxes so that the year’s true freshmen can be added once they debut, and those redemptions branch into Emerald parallels, photo variations, autograph versions, and memorabilia versions in addition to the standard rookie entries. The exact player list for these redemptions typically arrives later in the season once rosters stabilize.

Collectors who like to map their breaks can keep it simple. Hobby configuration is four cards per pack, eight packs per box, and 20 boxes per case split into two 10 box inners, while blasters carry four cards per pack, six packs per box, and 20 boxes per case. The full set size is 250 cards, defined as 200 base plus 50 Rookie Redemptions, and the release date is currently scheduled for September 24, 2025.