For the second time in three years, Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews will grace the cover of an EA Sports NHL game. The game is set to be released on October 15.
Here’s the official trailer, released on Thursday.
Matthews’ star power could not be ignored, much to the chagrin of his haters. While Leafs’ fans rejoiced, others weren’t so receptive. For example, Jamal Givens @devon__305 wrote, “Auston Mathews on the NHL 22 cover? That’s bull! It should’ve been Vasilevskiy from the back-to-back champs.”
The other side of the argument is that Matthews’s lethal wrister is one of the best in the game. In 2020-21, Matthews was a goal-scoring machine–41 goals and 66 points in just 52 games–and he took home the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer.
So why was Matthews chosen again so soon? Marketability. A successful video game franchise can go a long way toward growing the NHL’s viewership.
This year’s EA game will deliver unique mechanics, and Matthews hopes to “shock and awe” gamers with his NHL22 X-Factor ability. Hopefully, his quick release will hit home with consumers–just as it has in the back of the net for the Leafs.
