REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), today announced that fans will determine the next face of the franchise through the EA SPORTS NHL 17 Cover Vote. This year, eight hockey superstars – one from each of the eight teams competing in the World Cup of Hockey 2016 – have been selected to represent their NHL and national teams as they compete for the cover. Voting begins today on NHL.com and on Twitter, and fans are permitted to support their favorite player by voting as many times as they want, ensuring their pick advances to the final rounds.
The EA SPORTS NHL 17 Cover Athlete Competitors are:
| Country | Team | Player | Twitter Vote Hashtag | |||
| Team Canada | Dallas Stars | Jamie Benn | #NHL17Benn | |||
| Team USA | San Jose Sharks | Joe Pavelski | #NHL17Pavelski | |||
| Team Czech Republic | Philadelphia Flyers | Jakub Voracek | #NHL17Voracek | |||
| Team Finland | Florida Panthers | Aleksander Barkov | #NHL17Barkov | |||
| Team Russia | St. Louis Blues | Vladimir Tarasenko | #NHL17Tarasenko | |||
| Team Sweden | Tampa Bay Lightning | Victor Hedman | #NHL17Hedman | |||
| Team Europe | Los Angeles Kings | Anze Kopitar | #NHL17Kopitar | |||
| Team North America | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | #NHL17McDavid |
To participate in the EA SPORTS NHL® 17 Cover Vote, visit NHL.com or Twitter, and Tweet your vote using your player’s hashtag above. Fans will also be able to double their vote for their favorite picks when using the player-specific hashtags every Thursday for “Twitter Vote Thursdays.” The winner of the Cover Vote* will be revealed as the EA SPORTS NHL® 17 Cover Athlete at the 2016 NHL AwardsTM in Las Vegas.
For more information, including full player descriptions and dates, visit the NHL 17 Cover Vote Feature Page.
EA SPORTS also released the all-new NHL 17 Vision Trailer (see below), an inside look at the development of NHL 17 and how the team is working directly with fans to build the biggest and most exciting hockey game to date. Whether you’re challenging a friend on the couch or building a team to compete at the most elite level, see how NHL 17 gives you the power to shape your hockey legacy no matter how you play the game. Fans can also sign up to become an EA SPORTS NHL 17 Insider and get early access to news, trailers, behind-the-scenes videos, exclusive content and more.
*While the fan vote will decide the cover, in the event of a draw, vote tampering or extenuating circumstances, EA reserves the right to select the athletes ultimately used for EA SPORTS NHL 17’s cover.
Watch the EA SPORTS NHL 17 Vision Trailer:
NHL 17 is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver and has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. NHL 17 will be available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Become a fan of EA SPORTS NHL on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
Related: EA SPORTS NHL 16 Hits Stores Today
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