There are few things more nonsensical than the online reaction whenever EA Sports releases the cover athlete of their upcoming NHL-branded hockey game. No one, well almost no one, is ever happy with who they pick whether it’s the best player in the game in Auston Matthews (NHL 22 and 20) or Connor McDavid (NHL 18), a legend in Alex Ovechkin (NHL 21), or a young star like Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL 17). Well, give EA Sports credit for this year’s choice as they went with not one, but two, hockey players – both of them being a bit of a surprise:
What’s better than one cover athlete?
Your two official #NHL23 cover athletes @tzegras11 and @nursey16 ⭐️⭐️
See the full reveal tomorrow
➡️ https://t.co/QhoZN09ldb pic.twitter.com/06XIVh92ud— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 24, 2022
That’s Anaheim Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras (in shorts) and Team Canada forward Sarah Nurse. Also, two random palm trees thrown in there to make the “hockey should only be played where it snows” crowd’s eyes twitch a little more.
It’s just a cover, who cares right? Well, it seems there are some hockey fans and some gamers that are quite perturbed. Just type “NHL 23” into the ol’ Twitter search box and scroll through the comments. Actually, you know what, don’t do that. That’s never a good idea. Just take my word for it that some folks think that this is the worst thing to ever happen to hockey, hockey video games, maybe even the world.
One of my favorite talking points that emerges from this act every year is the player who was “snubbed”. This year, the consensus seems to be that Cale Makar should have been on the cover. Granted, the Colorado Avalanche defender had a heck of a year and would have been a good choice, but personally I see where EA Sports is going with putting Zegras on the cover.
Like it or not, there were a ton of non-hockey fans who knew his name last season when his Michigan flip pass (yes it’s mentioned in the press release) made the rounds on social media, ESPN, TSN, and various other media outlets.
The kid has a big personality and that attracts people who may be more of a casual sports fan. So who cares if he isn’t the best player in the game? Quite frankly two of the best players of the past generations, McDavid and Sidney Crosby, have the marketing charisma of a manila envelope.
EA Sports already knows hockey fans are already going to buy the game, so they’re appealing to the market that might be on the bubble. Perhaps some kids who saw the flip pass and know that they can recreate it in the game, buy the game and that becomes their gateway into the game. Far-fetched? Not really. I wasn’t a big Premier League fan until I started playing the FIFA series games back in the early 2000s (I was drawn to Liverpool because of the way the announcer pronounced Djibril Cisse’s name when he had the ball – “CEEEEE-SAAAYY”). Now, even though I don’t play the games any more, I’m up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning to watch the games.
As for having Nurse, the first women’s player to be on the cover, join him? Again, they’re appealing to a new demographic, one that may not have purchased a hockey video game in the past due to a lack of representation. Starting in the NHL 22 version, EA Sports incorporated rosters for women’s IIHF international teams. With female viewership up a reported 61% in the 2021-22 season why wouldn’t the number one hockey video game want to draw in that market? Nurse, who has won gold medals for Team Canada at the Olympics (2022), World Championships (2021), and World U18 Championships (2013) has earned the honor.
As far as I can tell, it’s the first time since NHL 96 (Steve Yzerman and Scott Stevens) that two players have appeared on the cover. That was kind of the norm in the early years of the series as the cover often featured an action shot with a forward and goaltender before pivoting to the solo athlete in the early 2000s. In case you were wondering, the last version that featured a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning was NHL 12, with Steven Stamkos. Prior to that it was NHL 06 with Vincent Lecavalier receiving the honors.
Lightning / NHL News
Scouching breaks down the Lightning’s 2022 draft
Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse grace NHL 23 cover [ESPN.com]
Wysh talks with both players about their first-time honors as video game cover athletes
NHL/NHLPA expected to bring back World Cup of Hockey in 2024 [Sportsnet]
Unlike the last version, it appears that this tournament would take place over a 17-day period in the middle of February and feature at least 8 national teams. No word on if they would also include an under-23 North American team like they did in 2016 version.
Alexandre Texier will not join the Columbus Blue Jackets this season [1st Ohio Battery]
Based on advice from the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavior Health Program, the 22-year-old forward has decided to step away from the game for a little while. Citing personal reasons and a need to be close to his family, Texier will not play for the Blue Jackets in 2022-23. The team supports his decision and pledged their support for him.
2022 Worlds Preview: Team USA [The Ice Garden]
The IIHF Women’s Worlds Championships get underway today. Team USA will open up against Japan. Our friends over at The Ice Garden have a preview up on the Americans who are looking to capture gold.
NHL has considered switching to orange pucks multiple times [Vancouver is Awesome]
Starting back in the 1940s the league has occasionally flirted with the idea of switching the color of the puck to make it easier for fans to follow the action, especially on TV. Despite repeated experiments, an orange puck never really caught on, primarily because it was harder for the players to see. Ironic, eh?
Phil is back! [Knights on Ice]
The living legend that is Phil Kessel (the second best Kessel) is back for another season. The 34-year-old forward signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Vegas Golden Knights to provide them with a little scoring depth. Kessel is one goal shy of 400, 44 points shy of 1,000, and eight games away from breaking Keith Yandle’s streak of 989 consecutive games played.
