The National Hockey League held its annual “NHL Awards” ceremony on Wednesday night.
One of the big presentations during the evening was the revealing of who will grace the cover of the upcoming “NHL 17” video game. For the past few weeks, the voting came down to San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski and St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko.
In the end, it was Tarasenko who came out on top.
It’s the first time since 2000 that a member of the St. Louis Blues will grace the cover of the game. That year saw Chris Pronger on the cover.
While the game is scheduled for release in mid-September, EA Sports also announced that Xbox One and PS4 gamers can sign up for a public beta beginning July 28.
From EA Sports:
The beta will feature three modes: Online Versus, EA SPORTS Hockey League, and Hockey Ultimate Team™; as well as access to the Creation Zone. Beta registration is open starting now until July 7 at 11:59pm PDT, and the beta is scheduled to begin on July 28 at 12:00pm PDT and end on August 4 at 11:59pm PDT. Fans can register now for a chance to play NHL 17 first by visiting www.easports.com/nhl/beta.
Tarasenko had himself a career year this season, helping the Blues reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. In 80 games played during the regular season, he scored 40 goals and had 34 assists, seven goals being game winners, and two overtime goals.
In the playoffs, he notched nine goals and six assists, though was held in check for the majority of the Western Conference Finals.
The 24-year old Russian is only the 5th player to be named 1st or 2nd team All Star multiple times while a member of the St Louis Blues. One of the key leaders of the franchise, he will undoubtedly play a huge role once again as the Blues prepare for their 50th season.
