The long and cold Canadian winters of our youth meant one thing....hockey. Constants in most of our lives were 6 am practices, playing on the pond and watching our NHL heroes skate on TV. During this special time, we were introduced to our hockey card hobbies. Whether it was Howe, Orr, Gretzky or Sakic....O Pee Chee, Upper Deck, Score or Parkhurst everyone remembers the sets and players where they developed their passion for collecting hockey cards.

The rebirth of the NHL in 2005/2006 also brings about a renaissance in hockey card collecting. With the one-two punch of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin and an army of sets featuring cards we couldn't even dream of as kids, this year is the most exciting year for collectors in over a decade....if not ever. This series of articles will breakdown many of 05/06's most talked about hockey card sets.

The most sought after memorabilia cards in the hockey industry return with Upper Deck's 2005/2006 SP Game Used Hockey.

With an outstanding one memorabilia card in every pack the return of SPGU matches the excitement of the return of the NHL.

The complete 100-card regular set of 2005-06 SP Game Used Hockey features a wide variety of combinations with low numbering to ensure high break values for collectors.

In addition, collectors can find "hot boxes" containing a rookie in every pack. If that isn't enough to satisfy the hard-core collector, there will also be "hot boxes" with a collection of memorabilia cards numbered to 100. And autographs numbered to 100, combining to deliver one in every pack.

Memorabilia highlights include: Authentic Fabrics (single, dual) as well as Authentic Autographs and Authentic Fabrics Dual Autographs. Look for a Wayne Gretzky/Gordie Howe Authentic Fabrics Dual autograph card, guaranteed to be a classic.

Sixty of the most exciting 2005/2006 rookies are featured in the Rookie Exclusives insert set that is sure to keep the hobbyist searching for their favorite stars cards. There will also be an autographed parallel of the Regular Authentic Rookie cards numbered to five, showcasing many of the fine, young superstars from this year's stellar class. Crosby and Ovechkin's Rookie Exclusives cards are currently booking for $300 and $200 respectively.

"2005-06 SP Game Used Hockey is a great set for the serious collector to invest in," says Upper Deck Hockey Product Development Manager Karvin Cheung. "We're giving collectors the chance to collect signatures and jersey cards from some of the biggest names and upcoming stars in the league with Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin."

Basic Info: 100-card base set, Rookie Exclusives (101-190)

Memorabilia: Authentic Fabrics Parallel ? Numbered to 100, Authentic Patch Parallel ? Numbered to 75, Authentic Fabrics Dual ? Numbered to 100, Authentic Patch Dual ? Numbered to 35., Authentic Fabrics Triple ? Numbered to 25, Authentic Patch Triple ? Numbered to 10, Authentic Fabrics Quad ? Numbered to 10, Authentic Patch Quad ? Numbered to 5, Signature Sticks ? Numbered to 5, Endorsed Equipment ? Numbered to 5, By the Letter ? Numbered to # of letters in player's name, Awesome Authentics (oversized swatch) ? Numbered to 100, Awesome Authentics Dual ? Numbered to 25, Heritage Classic Jerseys ? Numbered to 100, Oldtimer's Challenge Jerseys ? Numbered to 100, Heritage Classic Patch ? Numbered to 25, Oldtimer's Challenge Patch ? Numbered to 25, Game Gear ? Numbered to 100.

Autographs: SIGnificance ? Numbered to 100, Extra SIGnificance (Dual) ? Numbered to 25, SIGnificance Parallel ? Numbered to 25, Extra SIGnificance Parallel (Dual) ? Numbered to 10, Rookie Exclusives Autographs ? Numbered to 100, Rookie Exclusives Autograph Parallels ? Numbered to 5, Autographed Authentic Fabrics ? Numbered to 75