LAS VEGAS — P.K. Subban, no stranger to video game-like moves on the ice, is the cover athlete for EA Sports’ "NHL 19."
The Nashville Predators defenceman was unveiled as the made-in-Canada video game’s cover boy during the NHL awards in Las Vegas where Subban was up against Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Norris Trophy.
"Growing up, and still to this day, my friends and I love seeing who is on the cover and ultimately getting to play the game," Subban said in a statement.
"Being the cover athlete for ‘NHL 19,’ for me, represents growth within our sport, embracing different personalities, and showing that anything is possible. I’m honoured to be able to sport the Smashville colours on this year’s cover."
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid was featured on the cover for "NHL 18."
The cover athletes for "NHL 13" (Claude Giroux), ’14 (Martin Brodeur), ’15 (Patrice Bergeron) and ’17 (Vladimir Tarasenko) were determined by a fan vote.
Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were the joint cover athletes for "NHL 16" but Kane was removed over a police investigation that ultimately that led to no charges.
Kane ("NHL 10") and Toews ("NHL 11") had previously been featured separately on the cover.
Other cover athletes have included Eric Lindros, Mario Lemieux and Alex Ovechkin.
The new version of the title allows gamers to play on outdoor rinks and journey from the pond to the pros in a variety of modes. It also features more than 200 hockey legends including Wayne Gretzky and more customization options for create-a-character.
"NHL 19" comes out Sept. 14 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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