NHL 15 News Post

NHL 15 Cover Athlete is Patrice Bergeron - New In-Game Video Footage Included

09:15 PM - June 24, 2014 by Steve_OS

Patrice Bergeron was named the cover athlete for NHL 15 during the 2014 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Check out the official covers below for Xbox One, PS4, 360 and PS3.

Before revealing the cover, Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk showed some new footage from NHL 15, you can see it here.

Read the press release below.

Electronic Arts Inc., the National Hockey League (NHL�) and the National Hockey League Players� Association (NHLPA�) announced today that Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has been voted by hockey fans to be the EA SPORTS� NHL�15 cover athlete, kicking off a bold new generation of hockey videogames for the award winning franchise. Bergeron topped Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban following more than 10 million votes from hockey fans around the world. Earning 4 wins and 5 nominations for Best Sports Game at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014, NHL 15 is the next leap forward in the genre-defining franchise from EA SPORTS.

�Being featured on the cover of NHL 15 is a dream come true,� said Bruins center Patrice Bergeron. �The fact that the cover is selected entirely by fans is an incredible feeling. The passion and support from hockey fans, especially Bruins fans, is unlike any other sport and I�m so grateful to everyone who voted for me.�

"Congratulations to Patrice Bergeron for being chosen by the fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 15 cover athlete," said Adam Larry, NHLPA Director of Licensing and Associate Counsel. "We enjoyed seeing the passion that fans displayed in supporting the eight NHL players participating in this year�s NHL 15 vote campaign, as well as the entertaining activations from the players who were vying for the title. This program is a great way to kick off a big year for the NHL videogame franchise.�

�We would like to congratulate Patrice on this incredible honor and to recognize the outstanding fan support that helped him earn the NHL 15 cover distinction,� said Dave McCarthy, NHL Vice President of Consumer Products Marketing. �Once again, we were amazed with the level of engagement, creativity and support exhibited by our teams and our fans that truly exemplified the unrivaled level of passion and commitment only found in the NHL.�

NHL 15 ushers in an exciting new era of hockey videogames with the most detailed and authentic hockey experience ever delivered. Introducing true collision physics for all 12 players on the ice, NHL 15 delivers a level of realism for a new generation of game consoles that allows players to be immersed in the sights, sounds and feel of the sport like never before. Players can now look, move, play and think like an NHL athlete with detailed new player modeling and an expansive new set of tools, including the Superstar Skill Stick and Vision AI that heighten on-ice control and player intelligence.

Emotions run high in NHL 15 as players compete in arenas filled with dynamically modeled fans that react to the play on the ice like they would in real life. Announced by an all-new broadcast team led by veteran NBC Sports hockey commentators Mike �Doc� Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and TSN on-ice analyst Ray Ferraro, NHL 15 takes revolutionary steps forward in authentic game commentary.

NHL 15 launches on September 9, 2014 in North America and September 12, 2014 in Europe on Xbox One, PlayStation�4, Xbox 360� video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation�3 computer entertainment system.

Game: NHL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 16 - View All

NHL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Sparkles @ 06/24/14 09:21 PM

Sealed my preorder and ps4

# 2 13whitebread @ 06/24/14 09:27 PM

I would have rather had PK but at the very least it is an original six club getting the nod. What I really would like to see is regional covers. Now that would be kool! One thing I noticed of the game play pics on the awards show was a lot of ice spray even when players were just striding on a straight away.

# 3 Moose24x @ 06/24/14 09:43 PM

Love Bergeron and I'll be happy having him on the cover of my game. Wish he looked like himself in the game.

# 4 grushcow @ 06/24/14 09:43 PM

First game I'll ever have to put a fake cover over....probably go digital.

# 5 Steve_OS @ 06/24/14 09:50 PM

I'm going to be uploading the cover athlete announcement video in a few, which has some new footage from the game.

# 6 actionhank @ 06/24/14 10:31 PM

That footage looked better than previous stuff, but it still leaves me wanting real in game, with some mention of what they're improving/adding.

Also, Kessel's face looks pretty great.

# 7 PhillyGuy11826 @ 06/24/14 10:33 PM

Doesn't look like Couture was one of the players that was scanned.

# 8 Moose Factory @ 06/24/14 10:35 PM

I'm glad they worked on 9000 unique models for the crowd and barely any new face scans for the players...

# 9 Moose24x @ 06/24/14 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose Factory


	I'm glad they worked on 9000 unique models for the crowd and barely any new face scans for the players...

Yeah, it's pretty baffling considering how much work the players' faces need. 9,000 unique fans, many with face paint, which doesn't even make sense in a hockey audience, and they are not only unique in appearance but in behavior apparently (Rammer has on several occasions mentioned how cool it is that some fans in the crowd will be seen taking selfies... because THAT is truly vital to improving the game!!). I don't get that at all. Instead of 9,000 fans how about 1,000? Or how about doing the players FIRST and working on the crowds a year or two later, once the players have actually been done. EA's priorities on that one are baffling. So far in several images of Bergeron he looks absolutely NOTHING like himself and now he is confirmed as the cover athlete, so every time you take out the disc or load the game and see him during the intro you will be reminded of how terribly inaccurate he looks in the game. Don't really get it. You'd think that in all the time they may have spent with Bergeron signing a contract and working on promotional material and such that they could simply get an updated scan so that AT LEAST their cover athlete could look realistic.

# 10 ERA @ 06/24/14 11:30 PM

I would have much rather had P.K. on the cover..

As much as I hate the Bruins, that cover is pretty sweet.

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# 11 adayinthelife @ 06/25/14 01:20 AM

What the **** did I just watch?

Love Bergeron on the cover, though they're both great players so it was a win-win situation either way.

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# 12 H to the Oza @ 06/25/14 02:28 AM

I WANT!!
2 1/2 more months...

# 13 giantsharks @ 06/25/14 03:58 AM

Phil Kessel has the best player scan so far in my opinion. Logan Couture looked awful and he was huge, wasn't expecting jason demers to look like himself but jeez he was so tan! I know thats a weird thing to complain about but if i notice it, then its bad. Gameplay looked pretty awesome. Really excited to see more gameplay but so far with all the "unprecedented player likeness" then has been hyped so much, im a little disappointed.

# 14 Money99 @ 06/25/14 07:05 AM

Way off-topic gripe!
Why does the NHL continue to do horribly dorky things like having a dance troupe perform before revealing the winner?
Remember a few years ago they had dancers on roller blades, with nothing but a helmet and hockey pants skate around the stage?
Without the rest of the equipment, it looked like they were wearing diapers.

I've gotten to the point where I wish the NHL would adopt the NBA's way of dealing with awards. Just hand them out during the playoffs and ditch the ceremony all-together.

As far as the footage, I really liked that move TJ Oshie pulled off. I liked that quick side-step he made. I hope we can do those quick side steps anywhere on the ice (but only for guys with great skating and deking abilities).

# 15 Saint Iscah @ 06/25/14 08:49 AM

Well now that I've seen the Jabbawockeez perform I am sold on buying this game.

Man EA / NHL really knows what their fans want.

# 16 Comp @ 06/25/14 09:54 AM

Got to see my team win a Stanley Cup, and one of ours on the cover of a NHL game in my lifetime. :')

# 17 m-dogg @ 06/25/14 10:53 AM

With Bergy on the cover, you would think EA would feel some pressure to actually program some defense into the game other than hitting.

His top two skills (not counting face offs) are lock down defender and hockey intelligence, two things that definitely do not come across in the EA NHL series. Since speed, agility, and supernatural dangling rules EASHL - players like the Selke winner have no place in EA's hockey leagues (NHL or EASHL).

give us different stick checks with the analog, natural board play, and the ability to tie up sticks in front of the net by holding A if you are in the correct position and have the strength.

I still don't understand how a hockey game cannot have board play in this day and age...how important is it in real hockey? games/series/Cups are won and lost there, maybe we'd see a lot less midgets and rocket forwards if you couldn't skate 100 mph into the boards and retrieve a puck, and fly out at 100 mph never stopping and defying all physics...oh sorry, got sidetracked. nice cover. Congrats B!

# 18 Moose24x @ 06/25/14 12:42 PM

I'm honestly pretty baffled by it. So far in several images of Bergeron he looks absolutely NOTHING like himself and now he is confirmed as the cover athlete, so every time you take out the disc or load the game and see him during the intro you will be reminded of how terribly inaccurate he looks in the game. Don't really get it. You'd think that they could simply get an updated scan so that AT LEAST their cover athlete could look realistic. Even if the rest of the faces were going to look just as bad as they do, they could show promotional footage with their cover guy and get everyone hyped about how accurate he looks.

Instead, NHL15 will have 9,000 unique fans, many with face paint, which doesn't even make sense in a hockey audience, and they are not only unique in appearance but apparently in behavior as well (Rammer has on several occasions mentioned how cool it is that some fans in the crowd will be seen taking selfies... because THAT is truly vital to improving the game!!).

I imagine programming 9,000 fans who not only appear different from one another but have distinct behaviors is very time consuming. I'm glad we now have a "living audience" and the awesome privilege of fans who wear face paint and take selfies. That will really enhance my experience. Especially since the game won't even have 300 unique athletes with two distinct behaviors between them. I don't get that at all. Instead of 9,000 fans how about 1,000? Or how about doing the players FIRST and working on the crowds a year or two later, once the players have actually been done. EA's priorities on that one are baffling.

# 19 strawberryshortcake @ 06/25/14 02:27 PM

I don't personally watch hockey much, but the way the light hits the players' model, cloth, skates, hockey stick simply looks strange. There's sort of a weird "glow" around the entire player. Looks almost plastic, something that's usually a characteristic seen with most EA sports titles player model. Was hoping for more of a next generation look. Will wait for more real time gameplay footage.

# 20 Dolphins88 @ 06/25/14 03:36 PM

Ya at least make the players lifelike and actually play like the teams, players w signature moves. Then worry about the fans. I agree totally.. Need more defensive attributes and board play.

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NHL 15 Cover Athlete is Patrice Bergeron - New In-Game Video Footage Included