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Charles LeClaire-USA As we speak Sports activities
Prepare to find 5 NHL gamers who’ve by no means graced the quilt of an NHL online game. Put together to be shocked by this lineup of gifted gamers who’ve by no means acquired this honor.
This will likely be a two-part sequence right here on The Hockey News Gaming website with a component two to return at a later date.
There’s a lengthy listing of future Corridor of Famers who’ve by no means been on a canopy. Some are slowly nearing the tip of their careers, some are of their prime, and we have now just a few goalies who deserved to be cowl athletes sooner or later.
Sidney Crosby
The primary and largest identify on our listing is among the biggest gamers of all time — Sidney Crosby.
Charles LeClaire-USA As we speak Sports activities
Crosby is a really personal particular person exterior of the rink so it is smart that he has by no means been on a canopy throughout his luscious profession. EA Sports activities you must assume has approached him earlier than asking him to be a canopy athlete for his or her recreation, which he most likely declined.
A 3-time Stanley Cup Champion (2009, 2016, and 2017), two-time Artwork Ross, Conn Smythe, Ted Lindsay, Hart, and Rocket Richard Trophy winner. 1,004 profession assists and 1,596 factors in 1,272 profession video games. There is no such thing as a purpose for him to not be on the quilt of an NHL recreation except he declines to be.
Nikita Kucherov
There’s nonetheless numerous time for Tampa Bay Lightning famous person ahead Nikita Kucherov to be a canopy athlete, because the reigning Artwork Ross Trophy winner is among the league’s deadliest gamers.
You assume Kucherov placing up 66 factors in 48 playoff video games en path to successful back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 would’ve sealed the deal and put him on the quilt for NHL 21 or NHL 22? As an alternative, EA Sports activities had Alex Ovechkin and Auston Matthews make their second look on the quilt.
The identical might be requested relating to Kucherov as we talked about with Crosby. Does Kucherov wish to be on a canopy and undergo the press and photoshoots it comes with? He isn’t a really vocal man — exterior of when he beat Montreal within the Cup Finals and the beers have been flowing — and he could not care to be a canopy athlete.
Alas, his profession and accolades completely warrant him a spot on the quilt of an NHL online game. On prime of these two Stanley Cups, he is received the Artwork Ross Trophy twice, received the Hart in 2019, and was the runner-up for the Conn Smythe in 2020 and 2021.
Erik Karlsson
Charles LeClaire-USA As we speak Sports activities
Crosby’s teammate in Pittsburgh, Erik Karlsson, has been a shock omission from being a canopy athlete. The Swedish defenseman is among the many prime offensive blueliners within the league, a place he has held for greater than ten years. No defenseman has recorded extra factors (791) and has a better level per recreation (0.84) than him from 2010 to 2024.
Karlsson was the conductor of the Ottawa Senators‘ run to the Jap Convention Finals in 2017. He does not have a lot playoff expertise — solely 67 video games and 6 playoff seasons in his 15-year profession — which might be a purpose for by no means being on the quilt, alongside together with his at instances questionable defensive play.
Nevertheless, he is a three-time James Norris Trophy winner (2012, 2015, and 2023), and was the runner-up for the award in 2016 and 2017.
Victor Hedman
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA As we speak Sports activities
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman has been considered one of many NHL’s most well-rounded defensemen for almost a decade now. Throughout the 2022-23 season, it appeared like age was beginning to catch as much as him, however he turned again the clock final season and confirmed that age is only a quantity for the towering Swedish blueliner.
Hedman has been to a few Stanley Cup Finals and received two with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020 and has been nominated for the James Norris Trophy six instances, successful its honors in 2018.
From 2010 to 2024, he has the third-most factors amongst defensemen (708), and the third-best plus/minus ranking (plus-178). Moreover, his 117 playoff factors in that body are 37 greater than the second most (Cale Makar with 80 however in 93 fewer video games!).
Marc-Andre Fleury
Solely two goaltenders have ever had a solo cowl on an NHL online game. Florida Panthers John Vanbiesbrouck was the primary on NHL 97 and the final was Martin Brodeur on NHL 14. However how has Marc-Andre Fleury by no means been on the quilt?
Related: Marc-Andre Fleury’s career ratings in EA NHL games
Fleury does not have the accolades like Brodeur, however what number of instances have you ever heard a younger goalie at the moment say that their favourite goaltender rising as much as watch was The Flower? He is been a beloved participant for ages and his enjoyable character off the ice would have offered countless concepts and content material for EA Sports activities throughout their push to promote copies of their recreation with him on the quilt.
There is not any doubt he is a Corridor of Famer when his profession ends. A 3-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside his buddy Crosby and has recorded probably the most video games performed (1,004) and wins (557) from 2005 to 2024. Fleury surprisingly has received just one Vezina Trophy in his profession (2021 with Vegas), which is the one time he has been nominated for the award.
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