The cover athlete for NHL 12, form EA Sports, will be announced Wednesday evening during the annual NHL Awards presentation. It is the first time the cover athlete will be revealed during the postseason awards presentation.
Last year's game was the second straight season a member of the Chicago Blackhawks was featured on the cover. Jonathan Toews, fresh off of winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago was named the cover athlete a year after teammate Patrick Kane graced the cover.
The Blackhawks may have to let somebody else take the cover honors for NHL 12. Will it be new Stanley Cup champion and Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas? Thomas is a favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's top goaltender, and would be a likely candidate to be named to the cover of the video game from EA Sports. The last time a goaltender appeared on the cover was when John Vanbiesbrouck was the first official cover athlete for the franchise, appearing on NHL 97.
Another possibility might be Pittsburgh Penguins franchise player Sidney Crosby, who has yet to appear on the cover. Crosby's image is a bit of a mixed bag though from a public relations standpoint. Not that it matters much to EA Sports, who saw controversial Philadelphia Eagles quarterback garner fan support in a Madden NFL 12 cover athlete vote, but Crosby's reputation on the ice has been blemished since entering the league. He still is one of the best players in the game and could be the first Pittsburgh player to appear on the cover since Mario Lemieux in NHL 2002.
The 2011 NHL Awards show will be aired by Versus on Wednesday, June 22 at 7 p.m. ET.
There is no real pattern with the cover athlete for the NHL franchise by EA Sports, nor is there one for other franchises under the EA Sports brand. The possibilities could be endless for EA Sports and the NHL 12 cover athlete. Who would you like to see on the cover of NHL 12? Or who do you think will be named the cover athlete?
Voice your opinions and predictions in the comments section below, and we'll find out who is spot on.
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