Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are the NHL 16 Cover Athletes

[voodoo_magic]

I actually thought they might do a cover with Toews, Kane and Keith.

Having these guys may be boring for us sim/hardcore players but makes tons of sense to market the game to the casual player.
It's why you don't have some 4th line grinder rep the game your trying to sell.

[bwiggy33]

I honestly can't believe some of the hatred on here over a damn cover. There's a reason they chose these 2 guys. Some people may not like it but they are the faces of the NHL right now. I know many younger kids right now who are pretending to be Toews and Kane instead of the other stars in the NHL. If this is the case in many other places guess what? This could lead to more copies being sold because that kid is going to go to his/her parents and say I want that game because those 2 are on the cover. I see so many people (kids and young adults) in just MN, walking around with Toews or Kane jersey shirts or for that matter the real jersey. It's annoying but that's what these 2 have done. The NHL doesn't care that the much bigger hockey fans wanted somebody different, or a different team represented on the cover. Hell look at the product they deliver. It's made so that the average person can play the game and have fun. The cover is treated with the same type of mentality. They already know hardcore hockey fans will buy the game if they enjoy the sport that much. It doesn't take a cover to drive a hardcore fan away.

Toews and Kane have done something that I can't recall any other Superstars doing in my lifetime (I'm only 25 though). They have drawn the younger adult/college student to the game. When you hear the stories and see the pictures of Kane partying at Mifflin (I have many friends who were there during this), those people go hell ya he's just like us, other than punching taxi drivers. Same with Toews going to North Dakota and doing his thing. People latched onto these 2 because they act like normal younger adult aged people who have made their mistakes along the way. If I was in marketing, I would be using Toews and Kane for damn near everything that relates to younger adults and kids.

Sorry for the rant in the last paragraph but as much as I'm sick of the Hawks beating the Wild, I absolutely love what Toews and Kane have done for the NHL. They've started a whole new fan base regardless of whether they are bandwagoners or not. It's actually refreshing to see so many newer types of people enjoying the game. It's not 100% comparable, but I do compare it to what Rory, Ricky, and Spieth have done for Golf. It's brought in many younger people to the sport. I honestly think Toews and Kane on the cover could actually lead to more sales.

[AdamJones113]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamJones113

The worrying thing for me about the cover (besides the fact that it doesn't look great) is that it clearly was decided very recently. Obviously this wasn't decided until after the Cup (while it may have been mocked-up prior and was selected among many); the decision making is a little questionable in my opinion.

Let me amend this statement. I did a little research and it turns out EA had guys at the Cup to photograph two winners, a plan that would have been conceived of In advance. If Tampa had won, it would have been Stamkos and Johnson instead. They wanted to have the cup on the cover (though this means they need a new celebration, haha).

[Syzchmenev]

Terrible cover.. Hockey players with hats..

[jboe235]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamJones113

Let me amend this statement. I did a little research and it turns out EA had guys at the Cup to photograph two winners, a plan that would have been conceived of In advance. If Tampa had won, it would have been Stamkos and Johnson instead. They wanted to have the cup on the cover (though this means they need a new celebration, haha).

My second thought after the quality of the picture was if EA has the audacity to feature the cup on the cover, I sure hope that they improve the subpar Stanely Cup celebration.

[Vermin]

For a league that is all about parity these days, you'd think they would spread out the cover athletes a little more. Feels like somebody over there is a 'Hawks fan. From a neutral standpoint, it would be a nice nod to throw something to an up-and-coming team like the Islanders, Predators, Wild, etc.

From a totally biased perspective, the Red Wings have had a good run of success since they were last on the box, Yzerman's back-seat to Cup winner Scott Stevens (4 cups, 24th consecutive playoff appearance this year) and nothing.

[nddurst]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamJones113

Let me amend this statement. I did a little research and it turns out EA had guys at the Cup to photograph two winners, a plan that would have been conceived of In advance. If Tampa had won, it would have been Stamkos and Johnson instead. They wanted to have the cup on the cover (though this means they need a new celebration, haha).

Agree totally. If the Cup is on the cover, it should be featured prominently in the game. I'm still holding out hope for some sort of "skate with the Cup" feature at some point in this series, although I know it won't be in '16.

As for the players on the cover, I really don't care. Just give us a good game inside the package.

[cmutat17]

Are you kidding me?!?! These guys have already been on the cover. Don't get me wrong I like them, but I would have rather seen someone new like Tavares, or Price. This is a joke!