On Monday afternoon, a historic and landmark announcement was made in favor of the Florida Panthers. One of the team's biggest faces, Matthew Tkachuk, has been given the honor of being the cover athlete for EA Sports NHL 26. To some, it's just a video game cover.
However, behind this honor is a deeper meaning for the franchise. Anyone who has been around the NHL long enough knows why this level of exposure is a welcome change for the Panthers. For context, Tkachuk appearing on the cover of next year's game puts him in select company.