While we’re set to get our first glimpse at the gameplay of NHL 23 very soon, in the meantime, the cover athlete has been revealed. Or should we say, athletes. The cover athlete for any given sports title always generates interest, but they usually wind up feeling like safe, or unsurprising choices. It makes sense to put the most popular players in the league on the cover of your games after all. People are more likely to pick up the game, right? This year, NHL 23 isn’t exactly playing it safe, offering up not one, but two firsts for the franchise.
The cover athletes this year are none other than Anaheim Ducks phenom Trevor Zegras and Team Canada forward Sarah Nurse, who just helped secure a gold medal for Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She was also on the silver-winning team in 2018. So not only do we get our first ever Duck to grace the cover of an EA NHL title, but we get our first woman as well. Both are pretty exciting firsts as far as cover reveals go.
We’ll likely be able to see both stars in action soon, as the reveal trailer for NHL 23 is set to drop imminently. Zegras, of course, was involved in a spectacular “Michigan” goal from this past season, as well as one of the most remarkable setups in recent memory, so expect to see that crop up in the trailer. We’d be shocked if it didn’t make an appearance. Likewise, we’d have to hope that the inclusion of Nurse on the cover means women’s leagues will be represented in some capacity. While you’ve been able to play as a woman for a few years now with custom players, things never really evolved past that. Maybe now is the time?
Either way, we won’t have to wait long to find out. Do you like the choices EA made this year? Tee one up in the comments.
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