14 DAY TRIAL // The cover athlete for the upcoming NHL 11 hockey simulation will be Jonathan Toews, the center playing for the Chicago Blackwaks. The player has been drafted in to serve as the public image for the new sports simulation from Electronic Arts and this year is the first time in the 20-year history of the franchise when players from the same team will grace the cover in consecutive years, with Patrick Kane, a winger for the Blackhawks, making an appearance in 2009.
When the announcement was made, Jonathan Toews stated, “I am really excited to be on the cover of NHL 11. It’s been an amazing year for me and the team, and it’s nice to end it by being a part of a game I played growing up. The NHL games have always been great, so it’s an honor for me to be a part of the EA SPORTS family.” Jordan Edelstein, who is the vice president of marketing at EA Sports, also weighed in, adding, “Jonathan Toews is one of the best centers in the NHL today. He is a great ambassador for the sport of hockey and his impact on the sport this year is undeniable. It’s great to have him in the EA SPORTS family.”
The major shift in NHL 11 is the addition of a complex physics system mimicking the real-life moves that happen on the ice. Sticks can now be broken, body checks are tougher and the entire faceoff system has been remade in order to add to the tension of the game and to allow the player to have more options. NHL 11 is also set to include the clubs and players of the Canadian Hockey League.
NHL 11 should launch on the PlayStation 3 from Sony and on the Xbox 360 from Microsoft. Development duties are handled by the EA Canada studio, and EA Sports has not yet announced an exact date when the fans will be able to pick up the videogame.