Alex Ovechkin Named Cover Athlete for EA’s NHL 21

Alex Ovechkin Named Cover Athlete for EA’s NHL 21

Slightly to the surprise of fans, Alex Ovechkin, has been named the cover athlete of NHL 21, or CHEL, as it’s known to fans. This is the second time he has been on the cover of EA’s NHL game, the third counting the time he was on the cover of NHL 09 games sold in Russia. The first time Ovechkin was back in 2006 was when he was on the cover of NHL 07. 

In 2006, Ovechkin was on the cover because he was the league’s hot new star, so why is he on the cover yet again? David Pastrnak tied Alex for the most goals in the regular season. Artemi Panarin had a great year with the New York Rangers, making him a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy. Even Cale Makar has established himself as one of the top talents in the league, as he is sure to win the Calder Memorial Trophy this year. So with all this popular young talent, why is an established talent like Alex Ovechkin on the cover of NHL 21?

The probable reason is that Ovechkin became the eighth member of the NHL 700 Goal Club. At 34, it is unlikely he will break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894, so EA probably wants to pay respect to Ovechkin if he is unable to reach that mark. 

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The NHL 21 trailer has revealed a plethora of new features, from a no-move deke, to a reimagined Be A Pro game mode, to a new Team Practice and Free skate game mode, to a lacrosse style shot type. 

The game will be released on October 16, as fans will be excited for the next installment of the game.

Pierson Scheinberg

Pierson Scheinberg is a student who lives in California, and attends the College Preparatory School. Pierson lived in Baltimore, Maryland until August 2017 when he moved to the Bay Area. Pierson is an avid golfer who enjoys watching all sports. He is a writer and sports analyst for At the Buzzer.