Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche will grace the cover of NHL 24. The defenceman is fulfilling a childhood dream 17 years after making his own hockey debut on the console.
“Growing up, I played this game a lot,” says Cale Makar of his revelation as the cover star of NHL 24. “One title that will always stick in my mind is NHL 07 with Alexander Ovechkin on the cover. A really great game.” It was even the “first NHL spin-off I played on the console”. 17 years later, the Colorade Avalanche defenceman himself will grace the packaging of an EA SPORTS hockey sim.
Ovechkin, meanwhile, is still active in the NHL, the 37-year-old having been under contract with the Washington Capitals since 2005. The Russian himself graced the cover of NHL 21. With the decision for Makar, EA SPORTS has probably finally completed the generation change of the advertising faces. This had already been continued last year with Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse – after the opener by Austin Matthews in NHL 22.
Makar in action – big reveal on Wednesday
Unlike last time, however, the developer is coming up with “action shots” for the cover of its new title. While Zegras and Nurse had still posed beaming, Makar is shown in typical hockey movements. For the standard version, the 24-year-old is seen from the side chasing the puck. The X-Factor edition, on the other hand, shows him from above shortly after a shot – his body casting a shadow on the ice.
The bigger part of the reveal – including new additions to gameplay, modes and other facets – comes on Wednesday. The release date of NHL 24 has also not yet been revealed. The community has chosen 13 October as the most likely date for the worldwide release. However, this has not yet been officially confirmed.