Blackhawks Star Patrick Kane The New Face Of EA Sports NHL 10

From chicagoblackhawks.com: (link)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that 20-year-old scoring phenom Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks will be the new face of the EA SPORTS™ NHL® 10 videogame. Kane is the youngest player ever chosen for the cover of the NHL franchise and his image will be on the front of all packaging when NHL 10 is available in North American retail stores on September 15.

Having emerged as one of the most skilled players in the NHL in just two seasons, Kane won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2008 and this year led the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Finals. He has scored more than 20 goals and registered more than 70 points in each of his first two seasons.

EA SPORTS also announced that it has signed Canadian junior hockey scoring sensation John Tavares, expected to be the top pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, to an endorsement contract. Tavares will join Kane, the first overall draft pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, as spokespersons for NHL 10.

“It’s exciting to be on the cover of my favorite videogame after playing just my second year as a professional,” said Kane. “When you look back at some of the great players who have had this opportunity, it’s exciting to be a part of the EA SPORTS family and contribute to a game I’ve been playing for more than 10 years.”

“It’s exciting for me to team up with Patrick to promote a global brand like EA SPORTS,” said Tavares. “I’m looking forward to the draft, finding out which team will select me and then getting to play as myself in NHL 10.”

A native of Buffalo, NY, Kane is just the second American-born player to be featured on the cover of the best-selling* EA SPORTS hockey videogame franchise. New York Rangers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck was the first when he was featured on the cover of NHL 97.

“At EA SPORTS we believe in identifying the most talented up-and-coming athletes in the world to help us develop the most authentic sports games,” said Jordan Edelstein, Vice President of Marketing for EA SPORTS. “We believe Kane is one of the next great American hockey stars and Tavares will have an immediate impact in the league.”

Along with Kane, regional NHL 10 cover athletes for Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland will be named at a later date. NHL 10 will be in retail stores across Europe on September 18.

The EA SPORTS NHL franchise has won 19 sports game of the year awards over the past two years and has sold more than XX million units lifetime. This year the franchise begins a new era with gameplay innovations that deliver all-new board play, first-person fighting and over 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse of NHL hockey.

Box art and screenshots of Patrick Kane and John Tavares from NHL 10 are available at http://info.ea.com.

NHL 10 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system with an MSRP of $59.99. It is developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. The game has not been rated.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.