With back-to-back Stanley Cup trophies on the resume and several players that are in the argument for best player in their position (Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov) and a recognizable veteran in Steven Stamkos, it seemed like the Tampa Bay Lightning would have a good shot at having a cover athlete for next season’s EA Sports NHL game.
The erstwhile video game franchise had other plans. On Thursday they announced that Auston Matthews was their cover athlete for NHL 22. It’s the second time in the last three seasons that the Toronto forward has graced the front of the box for the most popular hockey video game on the planet.