The sports card market has been red hot since 2020 with many record high sale prices being recorded around the sports card hobby. This recently includes a new most expensive sports card topping the list as a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 9.5 sold for a record $12.6 million dollars. Luckily for hockey card collectors and sports card investors, the hockey sports card market is hot as well including seeing one of their own land on the Million Dollar Sports Card report. That card is the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky PSA 10 rookie card that sold for $3.75 million dollars landing it at the top on the Top 10 Most Expensive Hockey Cards 2022 list.

As the Wayne Gretzky rookie card owns multiple spots among the most expensive hockey cards all-time price list, a few other top hockey cards join him on the list as well. One of those cards is the 1966 Topps USA Test Bobby Orr rookie card, the 1958 Topps Bobby Hull rookie card, and a 1/1 SIdney Crosby card. Read on to see who lands on the Top 10 most expensive hockey cards list.

If you are new to sports cards, take the time to read our beginners guide to sports cards while also taking the opportunity to learn more about sports card grading with our sports card grading guide.

Top 10 Most Expensive Hockey Cards 2022

As you continue to read on, you will learn more about the most expensive hockey cards in the world as well as deeper look into the various items impacting the value of hockey cards.

Items Impacting the Most Expensive Hockey Cards

Various Here are the various items impacting the value of all sports cards including baseball cards.

ERA & Year of Hockey Card – Minor Impact on Most Expensive Hockey Cards

While other sports have seen multiple newer sports cards land among the highest priced sports cards within that sport, the same can’t be said for hockey trading cards. As you look at the most expensive hockey cards, many of those cards are vintage cards dating back before 1980. The older the hockey card, and the ERA of that hockey card has a key impact on the overall value of the hockey card.

Rarity of the Hockey Card – Extreme Impact on Most Expensive Hockey Cards

In addition to the year of the hockey card, the rarity of the hockey card has another major impact on the value of the card. While hockey cards were not as popular during the earliest history of hockey cards, it opened the door for fewer of these cards to be collected and saved in good shape. The rarer the card is the higher the value, the same can be said for graded hockey cards that have low quantity of that specific grade on Pop Reports. With modern cards, rarity is also a possibility with low print parallels and 1 of 1 insert cards being introduced within the products.

Graded Hockey Card or Non-Graded Hockey Card – Major Impact on Most Expensive Hockey Cards

Possibly the most impactful quality of any hockey card is whether it is a graded hockey card or a non-graded hockey cards. Sports cards in general see a higher value when the card receives a high-grade value from companies such as SGC, BGS, PSA and CSG. The same is said for hockey trading cards that are graded. Most of the most expensive hockey cards all-time as well as the most expensive hockey cards sold on eBay are graded cards with high grades such as a 9.5 or 10.

In addition, grading vintage hockey cards can also drastically drive the value of the card up based on the population report of each specific card. Not sure what sports card grading company is better? Read our articles comparing BGS VS PSA, PSA VS SGC, CSG VS BGS, and BGS VS SGC.

Hockey Team of Hockey Player featured on Card – Little Impact on Most Expensive Hockey Cards

Another factor impacting the value of hockey cards is the team that the player featured is playing for. While this impacts other sports in a greater value, the same can be said for the most iconic hockey teams since they have larger fan bases and more hockey card collectors collecting that specific team cards.

Current Hockey Trends (Hot, Cold, Awards, Call Up, Etc.) – Minor Impact on Most Expensive Hockey Cards

Lastly any current hockey trends going on featuring a specific hockey player or a specific team can impact the value of hockey cards. These hockey trends could include a player being traded or signed to a new club, a player receiving a monthly or yearly award such as the MVP, and even a player is slumping or is injured. As a sports card investor, watching trends can help you land among the most expensive hockey cards sold on eBay list each month.

Top 10 Most Expensive Hockey Cards 2022

#10 2005 Upper Deck The Cup Rookie Patch Auto /99 BGS 9.5

$80,287 on PWCC Marketplace and eBay in February 2019

#9 1951 Parkhurst Maurice Richard RC PSA 8.5

$75,000 sold by Heritage Auctions in July 2021

#8 1958 Topps Bobby Hull PSA 8

$87,000 sold by Heritage Auctions

#7 2006 Upper Deck The Cup Dual Sided NHL Shield Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemiux 1/1

$91,200 sold by Goldin Auctions

#6 202015 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid Auto #d 97/99 (Player Number) PSA 9

$135,811.20 sold by Lelands Auction in

#5 2020 Skybox Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Gold Sidney Crosby 1/1 PSA 8

$164,400 sold by Goldin Auctions in June 2022

#4 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card PSA 10

$265,200 sold by Heritage Goldin Auctions in April 2021 (Cert #d 24600714)

#3 1966 Topps USA Test Bobby Orr RC BVS 10

$275,000 sold by Heritage Auctions in

#2 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card PSA 10

$1,290,000 sold by Heritage Auction in December 2020 (Cert #d 50008975)

#1 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card PSA 10 – Most Expensive Hockey Cards

$3,750,000 sold by Heritage Auction in May 2021

Along with these most expensive hockey cards, here is a look at the Top 10 Most Expensive Baseball Cards, Top 10 Most Expensive Football Cards, Top 10 Most Expensive Basketball Cards, and the Top 10 Most Expensive Soccer Cards. What hockey cards do you think have the potential to land among the most expensive hockey cards in the future?