EA Sports is preparing to release its NHL 19 game and a series of athletes have already been chosen to represent the company on its cover. Nashville Predators defenceman P.K. Subban will be plastered across every North American video game, while William Nylander and Patrik Laine will be on the front in Sweden and Finland respectively. We wanted to keep things going with our own selections, so with that in mind, here are 5 Europeans that should be featured on the cover of EA Sports' country edition.
RUSSIA- Alex Ovechkin
Ovi served as the cover athlete in NHL 07 but after finally winning a Stanley Cup, he deserves to be in the spotlight again. A ‘Russian Cup Edition’ could have some serious value one day when the Xbox/Playstation gaming systems eventually become outdated.
CZECH REPUBLIC- David Pastrnak
This one was a very close tie between Pastrnak and Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek, but we decided to go with the youngster. Pastrnak has been outstanding over the past two seasons and exploded for 20 points in just 12 2018 postseason contests. At 22, he’s already one of the NHL’s top players.
DENMARK- Frederik Andersen
Andersen’s only competition came in the form of Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers. After leading the NHL in saves and finishing fourth in wins in the 2018 season, Andersen earned the edge over his international teammate. FYI- a Maple Leafs player has never been on the cover of an EA Sports NHL game.
GERMANY- Leon Draisaitl
This one’s a no-brainer, plain and simple.
SWITZERLAND- Roman Josi
Swiss hockey has been on the rise in recent years and the country has some pretty strong options to choose from. We could have gone with rookie Nico Hischier, but went with the most consistent Swiss player over the past several seasons instead. Roman Josi, you’re a stud!
Who knows, with a strong 2019 season one of these guys might find himself on the cover of 2020! They don’t look half bad on these covers.