Card of the Day: 1984 O-Pee-Chee #67 Steve Yzerman RC
Steve Yzerman's rookie card from the 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee set is the crown jewel of Detroit hockey collecting — and one of the defining cards of the entire vintage hockey market. The card that launched "The Captain's" 22-year career in the Motor City anchors a rookie-laden set that is arguably the most important hockey release of the 1980s.
The Card
The 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee hockey set is famous for its rookie class: alongside Yzerman at #67, the checklist includes first-year cards of Patrick Roy, Cam Neely and Al MacInnis. The set shared its design with the parallel Topps release, but the O-Pee-Chee version is the scarcer and more valuable of the two — and Yzerman's is the card that leads the set. His rookie year followed his selection with the fourth overall pick in the 1983 draft, and what followed was one of the greatest careers in NHL history: 1,514 games, 692 goals, 1,755 points, all in a Red Wings sweater.
Yzerman's résumé — three Stanley Cups as captain (1997, 1998, 2002), a Conn Smythe Trophy in 1998, ten All-Star selections and a 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame induction — makes this the foundational card for any Red Wings or 1980s hockey collector. It's the rare vintage hockey card that matters to both team collectors and set-builders.
The Condition Challenge
Early-1980s O-Pee-Chee hockey is notorious for condition problems. The cardboard is thin, corners arrive soft even from the factory, and centering varies widely across the run. The census tells the story: of 6,601 graded copies, just 134 have reached GEM-MT 10 — a gem rate of 2.03%, with the population stacked toward the middle and lower grades.
PSA Population Report
| PSA Grade | Population | Value |
|---|---|---|
| GEM-MT 10 | 134 | $4,935 |
| MINT 9 | 963 | $700 |
| NM-MT 8 | 2,295 | $175 |
| Total Graded (All Grades) | 6,601 | — |
* Population data as of August 3, 2026. PSA population counts are dynamic and increase as more cards are submitted for grading.
Where the Value Lives
The price ladder shows why this card works for so many budgets. A NM-MT 8 sits at just $175 on the PSA Price Guide — an approachable entry point into a Hall of Fame rookie. MINT 9s run $700. But GEM-MT 10s command $4,935, roughly seven times the price of a 9. That gap is the classic signature of a 1980s card with a dense middle and a razor-thin top.
For the greatest captain in Red Wings history, the 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee Yzerman is a card with a genuinely affordable entry point — and a ceiling that reflects just how scarce a true gem really is.
