It’s an historic cover, as Nurse is the first female hockey player to be featured on a video game cover in the NHL franchise.
“It is such a tremendous honor to be the first woman on the cover of the EA SPORTS NHL franchise,” Nurse said. “Hockey is really for everybody and I’m excited that NHL 23 is celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of the sport. I hope that the increased representation of women in such a prominent game will inspire young girls everywhere to know that there is a place for them in hockey.”
Nurse is coming off a sensational 2022 Olympics, where she set two new Olympic records for most points (18) and most assists (13) at a single tournament on the way to Canada’s gold medal win.
Joining her on the cover is Zegras, the Ducks rookie sensation who lit the hockey world on fire this past season with not just his two Michigan goals, as well as his Michigan assist.
“As someone who has played EA SPORTS NHL since I was kid, it is a dream come true to be on the cover this year with Sarah,” Zegras said. “I can’t wait to play this year’s version with my friends and teammates, and I am equally excited to see fans unleash my Michigan flip pass, which the team at EA SPORTS has managed to get into the game.”
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The rest of the details on the game will be coming out on Thursday, Aug. 25. Here is more information on the NHL 23 cover and past cover athletes.
Who is on the cover of NHL 23?
Trevor Zegras
Zegras is a forward for the Ducks who just finished up his rookie season. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting, with his 61 points ranking second among rookies, his 23 goals tied for second and his 38 assists good for third. Zegras’ point total was second on the Ducks, while he led the team in assists.
The 21-year-old has gained notoriety for his sensational hands and the dekes he is able to pull off with them. The highlight of his 2021-22 season came in the form of an incredible assist, as he picked the puck up behind the net and flipped it up and over to his teammate Sonny Milano, who whacked the puck mid-air into the net.
He also successfully scored two Michigan goals this past season, picking the puck on his blade and whipping it around lacrosse-style into the net.
In a time where the game of hockey is modernizing, focusing on skill and speed rather than brute force, Zegras is at the forefront of creativity on the ice. It’s a movement that has taken over youth hockey all over the United States.
Sarah Nurse
Nurse is a member of Canada’s national women’s hockey team. As mentioned, she was a critical part to the team’s success in Beijing this past February, leading the tournament in points and assists in a historic Olympics performance. She also is an independent member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.
The 27-year-old is also an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the sport of hockey. As a black athlete in a sport primarily dominated by white men, Nurse has become someone for girls to look up to.
“I put myself back to when I was five or six years old, you know I was never able to see (diversity in hockey) so I think what makes me so proud and makes me so happy about those different forms of representation is just the fact that kids nowadays can see that,” Nurse said after the Olympics.
Nurse is part of an extensive sports family. Her uncles are Donovan McNabb, the former NHL quarterback, and Richard Nurse, a wide receiver in the CFL. Richard’s children are Darnell and Kia Nurse. Darnell is a defensemen on the Oilers and Kia is a point guard for the Phoenix Mercury of the NBA.
Who has been on previous NHL covers?
NHL 23 is not only the first cover to feature a female player, but it is also the first time a cover will have two athletes on it since NHL 96 when it featured a picture of Scott Stevens and Steve Yzerman on it.
NHL 16 was supposed to feature both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, however Kane was removed from the cover before it was released.
