The National Hockey League isn't just about sports, it's about family. And yes, I somehow typed that in my Vin Diesel voice. It's time for EA's NHL 26 hype machine to get going, and it has announced that the Tkachuk family will appear on the Deluxe Edition's cover.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk earned cover honors for the game's other editions. He's been a major factor in the team's back-to-back championships, scoring the winning goal in this year's Stanley Cup Finals. Now he'll join his father and brother on the cover of the Deluxe Edition.
Brady Tkachuk is the captain of the Ottawa Senators and both brothers represented the United States in Olympic hockey. The family's patriarch, Keith, played 18 seasons in the NHL with numerous squads. He chose to wear his St. Louis Blues jersey for this cover.
“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” Brady said in a press release. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honor to be featured on the cover, and having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”
In an interview with ESPN, Keith noted he often saw the glow from a video game screen coming out of his sons' rooms.
"We played the game like how you'd probably expect us to play: Turn off all the penalties, make all the guys really big and fast," Matthew said. " It was like prison rules NHL. So, it was a lot of fun."
Brady said one of the first things he does when he fires up the new game is to use the Senators and see what his rating is at the season's start. He's not alone. Players often get a ratings increase at midseason if they've been performing well, and Brady said one of his goals every year is to play well enough to earn that bump.
NHL 26 releases Sept. 12, and of course there is the customary period of early access starting Sept.5.