Alex Ovechkin rookie card sells for $381K and sets All-Time record for modern hockey card value

On April 21, one of his most coveted trading cards which is the 2005-06 Upper Deck «The Cup» Rookie Patch Autograph Gold Rainbow numbered 8/8 just sold for an astonishing $381,000 at Sotheby's Timeless Titans auction.

The sale set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a modern hockey card and the card is graded 8 out of 10 by Beckett Grading Services with a perfect 10 for the autograph and broke the previous Alex Ovechkin's card record of $182,400 which was set in 2021.

It also eclipsed the $228,000 paid for a 2015 Connor McDavid «The Cup» rookie patch autograph and is making Ovechkin's card the most valuable modern hockey card on public record.

Several details helped push the card to this record-setting level and the «Gold Rainbow» parallel is limited to just eight copies and this specific one was numbered 8/8 which is a nod to Ovechkin's jersey number and it's a detail that greatly enhances its appeal to collectors.

The card features a vibrant four-color game-used patch and the gold parallel design is especially sought after for its visual appeal and rarity

The card sold alongside other legendary sports cards which is including a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie and a triple-autograph card featuring Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Yet Alex Ovechkin's card stood out and is drawing attention not just from hockey fans but from the broader collectibles world and while the all-time record for any hockey card remains the $3.75 million Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie card sold privately in 2021, Ovechkin now reigns supreme in the modern era.