STEVEN STAMKOS THE NEW FACE OF EA SPORTS NHL 12
Posted by EA SPORTS at 18:57PM on Wednesday, June, 22, 2011

Coming off a 91 point performance in the 2010/11 season, Steven Stamkos, #91 for the Tampa Bay Lightning, tonight received the coveted honor of becoming the Cover Athlete for EA SPORTS NHL 12 set to release in September. As the second Lightning player to grace to cover of an EA SPORTS NHL game (Vincent Lecavalier - NHL 06), Stamkos continues the trend of fast rising stars as cover athletes and has been touted as one of the top picks to be selected as cover in many hockey video gaming circles.

When you’re selected first overall in both the CHL and NHL entry drafts, you’re faced with high expectations and Stamkos has met those expectations in style. As a member of the Sarnia Sting of the CHL, Stamkos scored 100 goals and 197 points across two seasons cementing his position as a top prospect. Stamkos’ successful junior career, the excitement of watching a player develop from young star to NHL superstar, was one of the reasons why the NHL dev team decided to give players the option to begin their ‘Be A Pro’ career in the CHL.

As an NHLer, Stamkos has developed into a feared goal-scorer and won the Rocket Richard Trophy in the 2009-10 season with 51 goals (tied with Sydney Crosby). This year, Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning came very close to making the Stanley Cup Finals, the call to cover NHL 12 may just be what Stamkos and the Lightning need to push them into the big dance. Look out for more on Stamkos and NHL 12 as the Road to Launch continues.


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 22, 2011 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced tonight, at the 2011 NHL Awards™ hosted at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, that Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning® will be the new face of the EA SPORTS™ NHL® 12 videogame. Stamkos’ image will appear on packaging worldwide when NHL® 12 hits retail stores this September.

“I’ve grown up playing EA SPORTS NHL videogames so it’s an honor to be chosen for the cover this year,” said Stamkos. “I love how authentic the game is and thought it was great when I scored a one-knee, one-timer goal as myself in NHL12!”

At just 21 years old, Steven Stamkos is one of the fastest rising stars in the NHL®. He was drafted first overall in 2008 and on February 6 of this year, Stamkos became the first player in the NHL to reach the 40 goal mark in the current season. His skill on the ice earned him the Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the player with the most goals in the NHL®, which he shared with Sidney Crosby in 2010. This year, Stamkos is nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the “Most Outstanding Player” in the NHL®, as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. His performance in the 2011 Stanley Cup® Playoffs is another example of his perseverance and skill as he battled his way with the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins.

“The cover reveal is a highly anticipated annual tradition at EA SPORTS and a great way for us to highlight the most talented rising stars in the world of sports,” said Jordan Edelstein, Vice-President of Marketing for EA SPORTS. “Stamkos is a fan of the NHL series and a great ambassador for the sport; we’re excited to welcome him to the EA SPORTS family.”

NHL® 12 delivers the authentic action and energy of real life hockey with the all-new Full Contact Physics Engine - from players to the environment, everything is now live on the ice including dynamic goalie interaction, goalie fights and net battles. All-new gameplay presentation puts you in one of the biggest hockey events of the season, the 2011 NHL Winter Classic® at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and the new EA SPORTS Action Tracker provides a shift-by-shift breakdown of stats and key moments leading up to your next shift to ensure you don’t miss a beat. When you’re ready to give it your all shoot for the chance to be the next great legend in the revamped Be a Pro mode as you play your way to superstardom and shatter records to cement yourself in NHL® history.