EA Sports announced the cover athlete for NHL 26 , and the Panthers have won yet again. If you watched the 4 Nations tournament or the NHL playoffs, you’ll know him well. Chances are, you either love him or hate him. It all depends on which team you’re a fan of.
NHL 26 will receive its full reveal on Wednesday, August 6. Until then, we have a cover athlete to discuss. This year’s game will showcase Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk. It’s an interesting pick for sure, given the wealth of young talent in the NHL right now. But a proven winner and fierce competitor like Tkachuk might have been too much for EA to pass up.
NHL’s Cover Athletes Reveal Game Changes
The cover of NHL games in recent years has been a clear indication of the direction the game wants to take. NHL 23 featured Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse, and had a tagline of “Better Together.” That game represented a significant investment in including women’s hockey, more so than in the past, as well as embracing Zegas’ creative style, including the introduction of the “Michigan” shot into the game.
NHL 25 featured the three Hughes brothers on the cover, accompanied by a tagline of “Built Different.” Because, you know, three brothers making the NHL means the family is built different. Get it? The game, in turn, featured some new gameplay and a new battle pass-type system, meaning it was built different too.
Matthew Tkachuk uses a chippy, physical game to get under the opponent’s skin. He also has the talent to establish himself as a star on the ice. His efforts in the 4 Nations tournament (until he got hurt) were incredible, and even though he was injured through much of the playoffs, Tkachuk still played a key role in the Panthers winning their second straight Stanley Cup. It will be interesting to see how (and if) EA incorporated Tkachuk’s style into NHL 26. It could mean an investment in play in front of the net or in the more gritty areas of the ice. We’ll find out when the game is fully revealed on Wednesday, August 6.
Tkachuk, a Panthers forward, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion at just 27. He has averaged more than a point per game in each of the last four seasons, three of which were spent in Florida. Before that, Tkachuk started his career with the Calgary Flames. His younger brother, Brady, is a star for the Ottawa Senators.
