The Young Superstars of Winnipeg and Vancouver Receive International Spotlight
The cover athletes for NHL 20 in Sweden and Finland will be the Winnipeg Jets all-star sniper Patrick Laine, and the Vancouver Canucks flashy playmaking center, Elias Pettersson. Laine will grace the cover of the game in his home country of Finland. Pettersson will do this same in his homeland of Sweden. Appearing on the cover of the game is a huge step for Pettersson. Pettersson is coming off a phenomenal rookie year with the Canucks and is a major piece of the teams rebuild. Being on the cover of a major sports game at the young age of 20 is quite an achievement.
“As a lifelong fan of EA Sports NHL, it’s a tremendous thrill for me to appear on the cover of the NHL 20.
While this is great news for Liane, this is not a new experience for him. This will be the second time the Finish hockey sensation will make an appearance on the cover of an NHL game. Both players have been selected to be cover athletes in each of their respected countries due to the amount of fame they both have in their nations.
“It was awesome to hear that EA SPORTS chose me as the cover athlete for the second time. The new cover art looks even cooler than the previous one! This kind of recognition gives me the motivation on the ice to prove that I’m worth all the hype,” said Patrik Laine.
Expectations for the Athletes
Each player will have a lot to prove in the upcoming season. Laine is looking to bounce back after a lackluster year and an early playoff exit. Many have attributed Laine’s underwhelming performance this year to video game addiction. It is a well know fact that Laine has (or had) an obsession with Fortnite. Whether or not this problem has been resolved is yet to be seen.
Pettersson will be trying to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a playoff birth for the first time since 2015. Last time the Canucks made the playoff they lost in humiliating fashion to their rival, the Calgary Flames. Vancouver has a young, fast and talented team this year and might surprise people.
NHL 20 will be available on September 13th for the PS4 and Xbox One.