NHL 2K11 Cover Athlete is Ryan Kesler

[Money99]

According to Globe Sports, Ryan Kesler has been named cover athlete for NHL 2K11.

Quote:

"At the recent Olympics, he scored in the men's hockey final and emerged with a silver medal as part of an impressive young U.S. team. Since returning to the Vancouver Canucks, he has three goals in four games — with two of those goals coming in Detroit near where he grew up in Livonia. And now the 25-year-old can celebrate being the cover athlete for the NHL 2K11 video game, following in the footsteps of Alexander Ovechkin, Rick Nash, Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton, Marty Turco, Martin St. Louis, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan. Kesler calls it the “icing on the cake” after his Olympic experience. “Everything just keeps getting better for me,” he told The Canadian Press. “I'm very excited."

[Flyermania]

Or maybe they actually hired one.

I like the choice, but it's not a name/player casual fans are going to really recognize.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flyermania

Or maybe they actually hired one. I like the choice, but it's not a name/player casual fans are going to really recognize.

I agree.
But I think it's a great sign though. Obviously someone in marketing got their head out of their butt and picked a player that is recognizable to the US and was a big face to the US Olympic team.
But bigger yet was they didn't wait until July to capitalize on something that occurred in February.
This to me is a huge sign that Take-Two actually gives a crap about it's hockey game.

In the end, maybe their strategy was to blow everyone away with a great, great Wii game so when they did return to the 360/PS3 more attention would be drawn to next-gen as well?
If that's the end game (and I hope it is), it could be a great marketing scheme.

[Sabresfan2630]

Is there a way to vote for the guy we want on the cover?

[DrJones]

You guys know that this game is essentially a Wii port of 2K10, right? My 2K sources tell me that their NHL series is unofficially dead.

EDIT: Shoulda looked at the forum, apparently that info was announced this week. I'll be REALLY surprised if there's a 2K12 in any shape or form, however.

[daflyboys]

They picked the wrong Ryan.


Re: the Olympics


Dumb.

[Bellsprout]

I badly want the cover picture to be of him diving for the puck to score that empty netter at the end of the first Canada game.

[Shadow71]

Kesler = awesome