“When you grow up playing hockey they teach you a lot of things. Get the puck deep, finish your checks, make the simple play.
But then again, where’s the fun in that?”
Toronto Maple Leafs rookie sensation Mitch Marner was featured in the first reveal for the upcoming EA Sports NHL 18 video game.
Just a 30-second clip, in it you see the virtual rendition of the 20-year-old dangle around an Ottawa defender and go top shelf on an unidentifiable Senators goalie before it skips to Marner celebrating with fellow rookie and Calder Trophy finalist Auston Matthews.
This video is just a teaser and more information about the game will be revealed at the NHL Awards on June 21.
A quick glance at the game’s official website shows a photo of the three Leafs rookies that helped the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 – Marner, Matthews and William Nylander.
The freshman trio combined for 191 points, as Matthews led all Toronto skaters with 40 goals and 69 points.
The prominence of Marner and his two other Leafs froshies suggest that one of them – or maybe even all three – could be the 2018 cover star(s) for the annual hockey simulation series. If that is in fact the case, it would be the first time in the franchise’s 25-year history a Maple Leafs player would grace the cover.
Glenn Healy was the cover athlete of the first game of the series back in 1991. St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko was 2017’s star.
There’s no definitive release date announced just yet but the franchise has traditionally aimed to hit a September launch every year.
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