Curses aside, being named a cover athlete for a major video game franchise is a huge honour to receive. Similar to end-of-year awards, being named a cover athlete is a form of recognition that not many players get to experience.
Each year there’s always a healthy amount of discussion around who should be gracing the cover of the latest edition to EA Sports’ NHL franchise. The cover is bound to sit on coffee tables (or, at least, on the home screen of video console interfaces… sigh… downloads are so much less romantic to write about than hard copy) across North America and beyond.
Sure, there are special edition releases that may feature other players, but there is usually only one official cover athlete.
So, who deserves to grace the cover of NHL 23?
Sure, you could argue for someone like Sidney Crosby or Victor Hedman just based on the fact they’ve been dominant for so long without being featured. Not much fun in that, though.
Instead, we’ve focused in on some players that have made themselves storylines – whether it’s through their play or not.
5. Patrik Laine – Columbus Blue Jackets
Full disclosure, Jesse DID have a part in the Laine inclusion on this list. Regardless of the oddly-stubborn Winnipeg Jets bias, Laine actually actually is a good option.
Now playing for Columbus, the former #2 overall pick would become the first Blue Jacket to crack the cover of an NHL game. While Columbus isn’t the biggest market in the league by any stretch, it’s still important to show the little guys some love.
Laine is also enjoying a resurgent season, with 35 points in 31 games. This narrative in itself is what we love to see from cover athletes, who doesn’t love a good comeback story?! Well, maybe not John Tortorella. In fact, he may not like this list at all – more to come on that later.
BONUS: Laine is one of the biggest known-gamers in the NHL.
4. Leon Draisaitl – Edmonton Oilers
This is simply one of those options that are based on the impossible-to-ignore production.
For whatever reason, Draisaitl is sometimes dragged for being in the shadow of Connor McDavid, but Draisaitl is productive in his own right. For the 3rd straight season, McDavid and Draisaitl are leading the NHL in points (73 each). McDavid (who was featured on the cover of NHL 18) is undeniably incredible, but it’s time to give Draisaitl some cover love as well.
On top of all that, Draisaitl comes from the rapidly developing hockey country of Germany. Now would be a perfect time to zero in on growing the game in Deutschland!
3. The Hughes Brothers – Jack and Quinn
Alright, we’re kind of cheating here, but how cool would it be to feature brothers on the cover?! In fact, it would even be hilarious to have the Tkachuk bros going head-to-head on the cover.
Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes are two massive difference makers on their respective teams (New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks). They’re both Top 10 picks, with Jack being #1 overall, and they both carry a franchise-player feel to them (particularly with Jack’s breakout this year).
One plays forward (Jack) and the other plays defence (Quinn), one is West coast while the other is East, on is on a Canadian franchise while the other is on an American team. We can already picture the cover now! It's almost too easy!
Also, sorry Luke, we didn’t forget about you. We just like the look of a two-player cover better, but maybe the 3rd Hughes brother can feature on a special edition version? Ehh?
2. Cale Makar – Colorado Avalanche
Similar to Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar represents a new kind of defenceman that is emphatically modern. He’s not the biggest or the strongest like your prototypical D-man of the past, but instead he’s quick, flashy, and extremely gifted offensively. A nightmare on the power-play, guys like Hughes and Makar are representations of a shift in the game itself.
What better way to celebrate that than to feature them on the NHL 23 cover?
On top of this, Makar plays for the Avs who are putting together a historically dominant season. Makar’s ability from the blueline is one of the reasons the Avs are such a nightmare to play against.
1. Trevor Zegras – Anaheim Ducks
Speaking of flashy players that are changing the way hockey is played… Trevor Zegras, ladies and gentlemen!
In a world where we now see a successful Michigan pulled every other day, Zegras is essentially the poster boy for this new-age hockey that values jaw-dropping puck skills. He’s already coined the “Zegras Assist” from his flip pass over the net to Sonny Milano, and he pushed the boundaries of capability even further when he blindfolded himself during All-Star Weekend and pulled off a goal most couldn’t do with their eye sight available.
While Zegras’ style is certainly polarizing, with traditionalists bothered by his unapologetic flashiness, he’s certainly become one of the top stories from this season as a result.
Simply put, Zegras is an embodiment of the new NHL. He’s the guy that kids are mimicking in their driveways for hours on end, trying to pull off a Zegras skill.
Sorry, Torts, but it’s true.
