Stars such as Trevor Zegras, Sarah Nurse and Auston Matthews have all graced the cover of hockey’s most iconic video game. But who’s next to be front and center?
Stars such as Trevor Zegras, Sarah Nurse and Auston Matthews have all graced the cover of hockey’s most iconic video game. But who’s next to be front and center?
For younger hockey fans, very little has kindled their fandom more than EA’s NHL franchise.
It’s a way for fans to interact with the sport, learning about the players and teams as they use them on the ice. From franchise mode to EASHL, Be a Pro to HUT, the abundance of game modes have created strong connections between fans and the stars of today’s game.
Those stars don the cover of the game, too, and it’s a major honor to grace NHL’s cover. So who has earned the right to be the next cover athlete? While we won’t know until EA makes its official announcement, there are many candidates worthy of the cover. Let’s break them down.
COVER CONTENDERS
Connor McDavid
It’s not even an argument that McDavid is the best player in the game right now, evidenced by his three-peat Art Ross Trophy wins and this season’s Rocket Richard Trophy to boot. He’s a generational scorer, an unmatched playmaker – pick a superlative and it belongs to McDavid.
And while he earned the cover of NHL 18, McDavid’s dominance might warrant another feature. The same happened to Jonathan Toews on NHL 11 and NHL 16; granted, he was coming off captaining the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup both times. Maybe it’s too obvious to select McDavid. It also happened to Auston Matthews in NHL 20 and NHL 22 and Alex Ovechkin in NHL 07 and NHL 21. After all, if sheer dominance earned the cover, EA’s designers would have run out of ways to put McDavid on it. But at some point, you’ve got to honor McDavid’s excellence again.
Erik Karlsson
For all the superlatives that belong to McDavid, there’s plenty of praise for Karlsson, too. As a defenseman, he led San Jose with 101 points, 34 more than his next nearest teammate. Amid an abominable season in San Jose, he put up numbers that haven’t been achieved by a D-man since the early ’90s.
That abominable season, though, might cost him. San Jose is embarking on a massive rebuild, and that caused Karlsson’s barnstorming campaign to come with rather light fan fare. Of course, Trevor Zegras made the cover last season even though Anaheim missed the playoffs. Before that, New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur was the last NHLer who missed the playoffs but still got the cover.
Mitch Marner
Despite the rumble of constant trade rumors, Marner had a banner year for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His 99 points led the team in scoring, including a career-high 69 helpers. He also paired that up with a strong 200-foot game that has him in contention for the Selke Trophy.
That being said, cover athletes usually have to be the biggest star on their team to earn a cover, and Marner is firmly behind Matthews (and, arguably, John Tavares) for that distinction. Speaking of Matthews, he was on the cover two seasons ago. Would EA put Leafs on the cover so close to one another?
Matthew Tkachuk
‘The Rat King’ may not have won the Stanley Cup, but he did earn deep respect from the hockey world for his playoff performance. It’s hard to find a better story than the Florida Panthers’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup final, kept alive by Tkachuk’s heroics. He’s riding a massive wave of stardom due to his playoff efforts, and that could culminate in the cover of NHL 24.
With his swagger and grit, Tkachuk is a marketing team’s dream. He’s got the kind of stage presence that gets people interested in hockey who have never played it, much like the EA franchise does itself. It’s a match made in heaven, even if there’s no Stanley Cup for Tkachuk to hoist.
Hilary Knight
After all that she’s accomplished this season, it’s hard to find a hockey player with better credentials than Knight. She’s the all-time leading scorer at the IIHF women’s World Championship with 101 career points, the last three of which were scored in the 2023 gold medal game against Canada. She’s also tied for the most gold medals and medals in general at the women’s worlds. At least for Americans, Knight could end up as one of the greatest players of all-time.
While she isn’t in the NHL, the video game caters to all hockey fans and includes women’s IIHF teams. Team Canada's Sarah Nurse made the cover of NHL 23 already, so perhaps Knight could bask in the spotlight this season. Her resumé is certainly up to par, and at the very least she deserves a special edition to commemorate her achievement.
LONG SHOTS
Cale Makar
The future of offensive defensemen in the NHL, Makar saw his role on the Colorado Avalanche only increase. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2022 might have a shot at making the cover.
Linus Ullmark
While Boston’s miraculous season felt like a distant memory when the Bruins lost in the first round, it’s hard to top Ullmark’s season. He’s a shoo-in for the Vezina Trophy, giving him an opportunity to be the first cover goalie since Brodeur in NHL 14.
Matty Beniers
The Calder Trophy favorite helped Seattle make the playoffs for the first time with his skilled two-way game. If Zegras can make the cover one year in, Beniers has a (slim) chance, too.
Jason Robertson
Robertson’s 109-point season helped Dallas make the Western Conference final for the second time in four years. Robertson could be the first Stars player to shine on the EA NHL cover.
Sidney Crosby
Believe it or not, Sid the 35-year-old Kid has never been on the cover of an NHL game. A three-time Stanley Cup champion whose accolades precede him, Crosby is due to be immortalized on the cover of an NHL game. However, it's likely that Crosby just isn't interested in that spotlight and would've been on the cover long ago if he was.