Nonsense on Ice

By Doug Plagens

Join Doug Plagens for a weekly dose of hockey collectibles conversation. You can expect to hear about hockey news and how it relates to the hobby, as well as the latest hockey card releases, young pla... more

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FAQs about Nonsense on Ice:

How many episodes does Nonsense on Ice have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.

Nonsense on Ice episodes:

February 24, 2026 Gold Medal Glory & Navigating the World of e-Pack
Doug Plagens celebrates a historic moment for Team USA as the women’s hockey squad captures gold in a thrilling overtime victory against Canada. He also breaks down the immediate hobby impact of the Men's Ice Hockey Olympic games prior to the medal games, highlighting the surging market for Macklin Celebrini and several NHL stars who have shined on the Olympic stage.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: This episode was filmed prior to the men's Olympic medal games. Next Tuesday's Nonsense on Ice will recap all the hobby action and impact from the men's ice hockey Olympic games.
The episode also features an in-depth conversation with Daniel Machado, Director of Direct-to-Consumer Platforms at Upper Deck. Daniel shares his unique career journey from starting as an unpaid talent relations intern to overseeing major digital initiatives—and provides an essential guide for collectors on how to navigate e-Pack. He shares how the platform bridges the gap between digital convenience and physical card ownership, explaining the process of trading, storage, and requesting physical shipments of your hits.
Doug also provides a "buy low" perspective on stars like Connor Bedard and New Jersey’s Timo Meyer. To close out the show, Doug rips 24-25 PWHL hockey cards, hunting for the superstars who just made history on the ice in the women's hockey Gold Medal game.

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1h 9min
February 17, 2026 Olympic Hobby Stars to Watch + Ripping 2025-26 O-Pee-Chee, Interview With Steve Mears
This week on Nonsense on Ice, Doug Plagens is joined by the television voice of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Steve Mears. They discuss the Blue Jackets' recent surge, Zach Werenski's Norris Trophy potential, and the development of young stars like Adam Fantilli.

Steve also opens up about his personal collection, including his cherished 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. and a vintage 1963 Parkhurst Jean Béliveau. Plus, he shares the incredible story behind the 1994 Pinnacle Sylvain Turgeon card that features a young Patrick Kane frozen in time watching from the crowd.

We also break down the Hobby 3 Stars (Olympic Edition), analyzing the market movement for Juraj Slafkovsky following his hot start at the Olympics, along with cards for Dalibor Dvorsky and Rasmus Dahlin. And, do an AHL Hobby 3 Stars, looking at the prospects to watch ahead of Series 2, including Matvei Gridin, Dmitriy Simashev, and Isaac Howard.

For this week's Vintage Value Pick, doug takes a look at Teemu Selanne's 1992-93 Fleer Ultra.

And to end the episode, he rips into the new 2025-26 O-Pee-Chee, chasing Marquee Rookies and parallels.

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1h 12min
February 10, 2026 Big NHL Trade, Olympics Preview & Award Contenders
The NHL has hit the Olympic break, but the hobby isn’t slowing down. On this edition of Nonsense on Ice, Doug reacts to the massive news of Artemi Panarin being traded to the Los Angeles Kings and breaks down what the move means for his card market. We also dive into the NHL Awards frontrunners, including a bold prediction that Matthew Schaefer's upcoming Young Guns release could be the "hockey card of the decade."
Plus, we analyze the Hobby 3 Stars with two distinct lists: players heading to the Olympics like Karel Vejmelka and Jake Guentzel , and "sleeper" players staying home like Lane Hutson and Brandon Bussi whose markets you shouldn't ignore.
The episode wraps up with a look at Macklin Celebrini’s legitimate Hart Trophy case and a rip of the Blackhawks Centennial collection where we hunt for autographs and relics.

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1h 12min
February 03, 2026 O-Pee-Chee is Here! Olympic Roster Review + Patrick Kane Makes History
Join Doug Plagens for a jam-packed episode of Nonsense on Ice presented by Upper Deck. This week, we celebrate a massive milestone as Patrick Kane becomes the all-time leading American-born point scorer. We also dive headfirst into the newly released 2025-26 O-Pee-Chee set, breaking down the key chase cards, marquee rookies, and the best teams to target in breaks.
Plus, with the Olympic Winter Games just days away, we preview the Olympic rosters for Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland. Who is the favorite for gold, and which players could see their card values skyrocket with a big tournament performance?
Finally, we wrap things up with a Value Vintage Pick from the Miracle on Ice era and rip into a Blackhawks Centennial Collection Hobby Tin!
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
8:10 - NHL News1
8:05 - Rookies Driving Hobby
30:19 - O-Pee-Chee Release
35:07 - Hobby 3 Stars
44:40 - Olympics Preview
1:02:22 - Value Vintage Pick
1:04:50 - Ripping Blackhawks Centennial

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1h 17min
January 27, 2026 The "Mr. Goalie" Legacy, Series 2 Young Guns Leaks, & Unbreakable NHL Record
From legendary "unbreakable" records to the newest rookie leaks, we're covering the full spectrum of the hockey card hobby on this edition of Nonsense on Ice, presented by Upper Deck.
Doug Plagens is breaking down the most anticipated Young Guns for the upcoming Upper Deck Series 2 (17:45) and checking in on the surging veteran market in Pittsburgh and Detroit.
We also dive deep into the legacy of the late Glenn Hall, exploring why his "Ironman" streak of 502 consecutive starts is a record that will never be touched in the modern era.
Plus, we look at the shifting landscape of the "Big Four" grading companies and how to find value in vintage Hall of Fame cards.
As always, we check in on the market for Sharks teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini. And, the episode wraps as Doug rips Upper Deck Series One Holiday Edition.

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1h 9min
January 20, 2026 How A "Worthless" Hockey Card Saved This Radio Host's Life, Featuring Mick Kern
Join Doug Plagens for another edition of Nonsense on Ice presented by Upper Deck. The episode kicks off with a look at the hottest storylines in the NHL, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s winning streak and the Vegas Golden Knights’ push in the Pacific, before diving into the latest product news surrounding the release of 25-26 Upper Deck Allure.
Doug also provides a market check-in on Macklin Celebrini rookie cards, breaking down the latest sales data for his Young Guns and O-Pee-Chee cards.
Special guest Mick Kern from SiriusXM NHL Network Radio then stops by to share his lifelong passion for collecting, which began with the iconic 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee set. Mick discusses why he collects for the love of the game rather than profit and recounts an incredible story from his high school days where brokering a trade for a Pete Mahovlich card actually saved him from a beating by a bully who needed just that one card to complete his set. The conversation wraps up with Mick gifting Doug a hilarious personalized rookie card from 1989 and a look ahead at the future of the hobby.
To close out the show, Doug highlights the Hobby Three Stars of the week featuring Olympic-bound talents Jake Sanderson, Moritz Seider, and Jack Eichel.
The episode concludes with a Value Vintage Pick dedicated to Mick’s favorite player, Ken Dryden, and a breakdown of the best value break spots in the new Allure release, specifically looking at the Nashville Predators and other key teams to chase.

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1h 3min
January 13, 2026 The New Holy Grail? NHL Rookie Debut Jersey Cards Revealed
Upper Deck dropped one of the biggest announcements in hockey card history! In this episode of Nonsense on Ice, Doug Plagens breaks down the new NHL Rookie Debut Jersey Patch Cards (6:46) coming to 2025-26 Extended Series. We discuss why these game-worn relics from a player’s very first NHL game are set to become the next major chase for collectors.
Plus, we recap Sweden’s big win at the World Juniors, check in on the red-hot card markets for Macklin Celebrini (23:50) and Connor Bedard, and look at how the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade is aging one month later.
Finally, we rip into some packs of 2025-26 Upper Deck Tim Hortons and see if Doug can extend his great ripping luck of late.

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1h 5min
January 06, 2026 Macklin Celebrini Market SPIKE + PSA Canada GM Shares What's Changing in 2026
Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2026 with a massive episode of Nonsense on Ice, presented by Upper Deck, bringing you all the latest hockey and hockey card news (2:40).

Host Doug Plagens breaks down the exploding market for Macklin Celebrini Young Guns (52:30). We also recap the 2026 Winter Classic (8:10) and the $400,000+ Connor McDavid sale (34:30) that has the hobby buzzing.

Plus, Doug sits down with Brad Hartlin, the General Manager of PSA Canada (27:30) to get the inside scoop on the massive growth of grading, the new receiving center, and what collectors can expect from PSA in 2026.

Finally, we wrap up the show with a Value Vintage pick (58:20) for goalie lovers and a live opening of 2024-25 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection (1:01:30)! Doug is on a hot streak with recent Celebrini and Demidov pulls. Can he keep it going?

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1h 10min
December 30, 2025 Hockey Card Market 2026: Resolutions, Predictions & a Massive Celebrini Pull
In the final Nonsense on Ice of 2025, Doug Plagens gets you ready for the new year with a 2026 sports card hobby outlook! We break down the rookie card markets of the NHL's three newest members of the 1,000 Point Club: Nikita Kucherov, Brad Marchand, and Leon Draisaitl (17:55). Who is the best investment right now?
This week's Hobby 3 Stars (28:00) feature Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres), and Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) as we dive into their hockey card markets. Plus, we share our top Hobby New Year's Resolutions (37:40) to help you collect smarter in 2026, from organizing your stash to mastering the "self-graded gem box" strategy.
And you won't want to miss the end. Doug rips into 2024-25 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Platinum (53:00) and hits a MASSIVE Macklin Celebrini Sunset Parallel!

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1h 1min
December 23, 2025 12 Injured NHL Stars: Buy, Sell, or Hold? AHL Stars to Know & Olympic Market
On this week's episode of Nonsense on Ice, Doug Plagens breaks down a list of 13 injured players, from superstars to top prospects, whose card markets might present a buying opportunity right now.
With Connor Bedard, Victor Hedman, and Aleksander Barkov all missing time, Doug explains why he isn't hitting the panic button and which cards he’s targeting while prices are soft (27:00).
Plus, we check in on the "Hobby 3 Stars" of the week (12:00) featuring a major 1,000-point milestone, highlight three AHL prospects you need to stash (including a Red Wings goalie on a tear) (18:45), and rip into a blaster box of the new 2025-26 Upper Deck Artifacts.

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50min

FAQs about Nonsense on Ice:

How many episodes does Nonsense on Ice have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.