14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Electronic Arts and the National Hockey League have announced that they are running a voting process to choose the cover athlete for the upcoming NHL 13, asking fans to choose from a number of potential stars.
Until April 11 one representative from each of the teams below will be chosen by fans.
Between April 11 and 22, the 16 top voted athletes will advance and a single elimination bracket will be created and will allow for voters to have their final say until June 4.
Eastern Conference
Bruins - Tuukka Rask vs. Tyler Seguin Lightning - Steven Stamkos vs. Victor Hedman Canadiens - P.K. Subban vs. Tomas Plekanec Maple Leafs - Phil Kessel vs. Tyler Bozak Capitals - John Carlson vs. Brooks Laich Panthers - Stephen Weiss vs. Tomas Fleischmann Devils - Ilya Kovalchuk vs. Adam Larsson Penguins - Evgeni Malkin vs. Marc-Andre Fleury Flyers - Claude Giroux vs. Scott Hartnell Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist vs. Brad Richards Hurricanes - Eric Staal vs. Jeff Skinner Sabres - Derek Roy vs. Thomas Vanek Islanders - John Tavares vs. Michael Grabner Senators - Erik Karlsson vs. Jason Spezza Jets - Evander Kane vs. Andrew Ladd
Western Conference
Avalanche - Matt Duchene vs. Gabriel Landeskog Kings - Anze Kopitar vs. Drew Doughty Blackhawks - Patrick Sharp vs. Duncan Keith Oilers - Jordan Eberle vs. Taylor Hall Blue Jackets - R.J. Umberger vs. Ryan Johansen Predators - David Legwand vs. Pekka Rinne Blues - T.J. Oshie vs. David Perron Red Wings - Pavel Datsyuk vs. Jimmy Howard Canucks - Henrik Sedin vs. Alex Burrows Sharks - Logan Couture vs. Brent Burns Coyotes - Shane Doan vs. Keith Yandle Stars - Loui Eriksson vs. Jamie Benn Ducks - Corey Perry vs. Jonas Hiller Wild - Mikko Koivu vs. Niklas Backstrom Flames - Mikael Backlund vs. Matt Stajan
David Le, the marketing director at EA Sports, stated, “The EA SPORTS NHL Franchise has had a rich tradition of outstanding cover athletes including Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup Winners, NHL All-Stars and Hall of Fame Members. With fans selecting the cover athlete for NHL 13 they now control who gets to join that prestigious club.”
Keith Wachtel, the senior vice president of integrated sales at the NHL, added, “The announcement of the cover athlete has become an event unto itself, and every year we look to grow the platform and innovate around the launch. The creation of the NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign, sponsored by BlackBerry, does just that by building an exciting new platform for players to connect with fans while bringing together two of our valued partners.”