The Hughes Brothers are on the Cover of EA SPORTS’ NHL 25

The Hughes Brothers are on the cover of the Deluxe Edition of the next chel game: NHL 25. EA SPORTS announced the latest edition by featuring The Big Deal, Jack Hughes with his brothers Quinn and Luke. This post celebrates that and answers the question: is there a cover curse?

The Hughes Brothers are hot right now. Quinn Hughes is coming off a Norris Trophy-winning season so strong that alone should establish himself in Vancouver history. The Big Deal, Jack Hughes, is such a star that the NHL asked him to attend the All Star Weekend even when he could not actually participate. Luke Hughes is a rising star, finishing third in a two-horse race for the Calder between Connor Bedard and Brock Faber. The trio are faces of the sport whether you want them to be or not. EA Sports has decided to make them the faces of NHL 25.

The long-time developer and publisher of the NHL series announced this year’s installment. The Deluxe Edition of the game features the first set of siblings to grace the cover of an NHL game by EA.

The bros being dudes in a locker room. You love to see it. And the trio were heavily featured in the trailer for the game, which is hyping up a feature called ICE-Q. Not sure what that goes into it or what it does but it is something apparently. Possibly provocative enough to get people going. Either way, one of the biggest video game publishers chose to feature the Hughes Brothers in their long-running game franchise. Again: faces of the league.

Now, all three are on the Deluxe Edition. What about the Standard Edition, though? Who is on the cover there? Thanks to the New Jersey Devils official account on X, we know who it is. It is Jack Hughes. The Big Deal. All by himself.

Majestic. Any doubts about the star power of Jack Hughes have taken a massive hit today. As have the haters and losers who doubt Jack Hughes is a star.

Of course, this leads to a question.

Isn’t It a Curse to be on a Cover an EA Sports Game?

The concept of the cover curse comes from the Madden series, the long-running NFL game published by EA Sports. It is debatable if the “Madden” curse is actually legitimate. Or anything more than coincidence. Or that it applies to other EA Sports games. Nevertheless, here is a quick rundown of past cover athletes of the NHL series. I’m using this list compiled by Josh Broadwell from 2023 at USA Today’s For The Win for the North American releases to see if being on the cover led to a poor season for that player. No special covers for regions or countries, sorry Finland.

• NHL Hockey (1991) – Glenn Healy

Healy was on this one, huh? I do not quite see it but hey. Anyway, Healy followed up a 89.3% save percentage with the Isles in 53 games in 1990-91 to an 88.1% in 37 games. While he would bounce back in 1992-93, the 1991-92 was a forbearer of Healy becoming a #2 goalie. Curse

• NHLPA Hockey 93 – Rod Brind’Amour, Mike Richter, and Randy Moller

Sigh. No, Richter was not bad in 1992-93. Moving on. Also, the cover must have been an older photo as Moller was traded from Our Hated Rivals to Buffalo during the 1991-92 season. The game came out ahead of the 1993-94 season. Moller was always a depth player so he was not going to produce much. He did miss most of 1992-93 with an injury; he did just play 35 games. Brind’Amour followed up an 77-point season in 1991-92 with an 86-point season in 1992-93. The first of two seasons where put up over 60 assists. Two out of three is not bad. No Curse.

• NHL 94 – Tomas Sandstrom, Andy Moog

Sandstrom was a King on the cover. He had a rough 1992-93 campaign as he only got into 39 games. When he did though, the Kings enjoyed it as Sandstrom put up 25 goals and 27 assists. In the following season, the rate of production did drop and the Kings did trade Sandstrom. But he put up 23 goals and 58 points in 78 games – hardly a bad season. Moog’s last season as a Bruin was in 1992-93. He signed with Dallas for the 1993-94 season. He posted an 89.4% save percentage in 55 games, a big upgrade over a 87.6% save percentage in 55 games in the prior season (and weirdly finished fifth in Vezina voting). No curse.

• NHL 95 – Alexei Kovalev, Kirk McLean

Kovalev followed his 56 points in 76 games season in 1993-94 with 28 points in 48 games in 1995. It was a bit of a disappointment, but far from terrible. He would rebound in future seasons. McLean, on the other hand, stopped a higher percentage of pucks in 1995 (90.4%, a career best) than he did in 1993-94 (89.1%) and played a larger percentage of his team’s games (52 out of 82 in 1993-94, 40 out of 48 in 1995). McLean had a better season and Kovalev’s down season was not all that bad. No curse

• NHL 96 – Scott Stevens, Steve Yzerman

Scott Stevens was definitely entering his defensive-mode as the production dropped. He did finish 9th in Norris and All Star team voting at the end of an 82-game 1995-96 season, disappointing as that ended up being for New Jersey. Point is: Stevens still had a solid season by his standard. Yzerman went from 38 points in 47 games in the lockout 1995 season to 95 points in 80 games in 1995-96. He also finished third for the Selke. Absolutely no curse here.

• NHL 97 – John Vanbiesbrouck

Vanbiesbrouck posted a 90.4% save percentage over 57 games and finished seventh in Vezina voting in the 1995-96 season. He went on to post a 91.9% save percentage over 57 games and finished seventh in Vezina voting once again. While he did not backstop Florida to a Stanley Cup Final in 1997, he helped them get back there and conceded just 13 goals over 5 games for a save percentage of 92.9%. Oh, the 1996-97 season would be Vanbiesbrouck’s last really good season in the net. No curse.

• NHL 98 – Peter Forsberg

Peter Forsberg followed up an 86 point season in 65 games with a 91 point season in 72 games in 1997-98. He also made the NHL First All Star team at the end of the season and produced 11 points in 7 playoff games. Forsberg was fantastic in the late 1990s and early 2000s. No curse here either.

• NHL 99 – Eric Lindros

It is tempting to assume Lindros is always cursed. But there was a perio dof time hwere he was not. He followed up a 1997-98 season where put up 71 points in 63 games with a better 1998-99 campaign. He was healthier, playing in 8 more games. He put up even more: 10 more goals and 22 more points. He finished third for the NHL All Star teams and sixth for the Hart. Philly did not make the playoffs in 1999 but I do not think the 93 points from Lindros prevented that. No curse.

• NHL 2000 – Chris Pronger

Pronger won the Hart and the Norris and made the NHL First All Star team in 1999-2000. His 14 goals and 62 points with the would be a career high for him. The only thing that went wrong for Pronger and the Blues was a 7-game upset to San Jose. Come on. No curse.

• NHL 2001 – Owen Nolan

OK. Nolan had a rougher 2000-01 season compared with the 1999-2000 campaign that got him onto the cover. Injury kept him to just playing 57 games. His rate of production fell from 1.07 to 0.86. Not bad but we can call this a Curse.

• NHL 2002 – Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux’s comeback in 2000-01 was the stuff of legends. Not just playing but driving his team to the postseason. The 2001-02 campaign, less impressive. He was limited to 24 games due to a hip injury. He did put up 31 points in those 24 games. But the Penguins were falling off and entering a dark period. I have to call it a Curse.

• NHL 2003 – Jarome Iginla

Iginla showed what it looked like if one of the best hockey players in the world was on one of the worst assembled rosters. He earned the Pearson, the Ross, the Richard, and lost the Hart by a small margin in 2001-02. So many accolades, it was tough to follow that up. In 2002-03, he put up 35 goals and 67 points. Not bad at all. But definitely a drop off. Iginla’s 2003-04 season would be much better. But we could blame a cover instead. Curse

• NHL 2004 – Dany Heatley / Joe Sakic

Heatley was planned to be on the cover and copies of that game did make it to store shelves. After his car crash that killed his teammate, Dan Snyder, EA replaced him with Joe Sakic. The 2003-04 season did not go well for Heatley as you would expect. Sakic had an awesome 2003-04 campaign with 87 points in 81 games and being voted to the NHL First All-Star team at the end of it. Despite Sakic’s great season, I have to call it a Curse for Heatley.

• NHL 2005 – Markus Naslund

Naslund also had an awesome 2003-04 season. 84 points in 78 games, a NHL First All-Star Team appearance, and finishing fifth for the Hart. The 2004-05 season did not happen for the NHL. It’s not Markus, but the league suffered a Curse here.

• NHL 06 – Vincent Lecavalier

With a NHL returning in 2005-06, Lecavalier put up 35 goals and 75 points. An improvement over 32 goals and 66 points in past seasons. EA missed him before his best season ever in 2006-07. But I cannot call this cover appearance a Curse.

• NHL 07 – Alexander Ovechkin

Putin’s Favorite Player hit the NHL on the ground running with 52 goals and 106 points in 2005-06. He was named to the NHL All Rookie Team and the First NHL All-Star Team, won the Calder, and even finished sixth for the Hart. In 2006-07, Ovechkin did not produce as much. He only put up 46 goals and only 92 points and only got the First NHL All-Star Team nod. Which far from a bad season at all. Absolutely not a curse. Like Lecavalier, EA was a season away from Ovechkin’s best.

• NHL 08 – Eric Staal

Eric Staal put up 30 goals and 70 points in 2006-07 after he absolutely broke out in his second season in 2005-06. Staal would never hit the 100 point mark again, but he did put up 38 goals and 82 points in 82 games while continuing to take on big minutes for Carolina. The cover certainly did not harm him then. Not a curse.

• NHL 09 – Dion Phaneuf

Dion Phaneuf blew up onto the scene right away since joining the NHL in 2005-06. He had a fantastic 2007-08 season. He put up 60 points, finished second for the Norris, and named to the First NHL All-Star Team while also averaging 26 minutes per game. A good defenseman as any to put on the cover. In 2008-09, he started to come back to Earth a bit. He put up 47 points in 80 games, he still averaged 26 minutes per game, but he did not come close to the Norris or the All-Star teams at the end of the season. Because he was healthy and still had good numbers, I’ll say Not a Curse. But Phaneuf never hit the high that got him onto the cover in the first place.

• NHL 10 – Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane became a star with Chicago right away. He would cement himself in Blackhawks lore in 2009-10, the season ahead of the game coming out. He put up 30 goals and 88 points; made the First NHL All-Star Team; finished 7th for the Hart; and 28 points in 22 playoff games. Not a curse at all.

• NHL 11 – Jonathan Toews

Toews won the Conn Smythe in 2010 to cap off a 68-point season wherein he also finished fourth for the Selke. Toews was even better in 2010-11. He put up more goals and points with 32 and 76, respectively. He finished second for Selke, fifth for the Lady Byng, just missed out of the NHL All-Star Teams, and finished sixth for the Hart. Toews reputation of being all-three-zone stud was legit and this was the season where many recognized it. No cover curse here either.

• NHL 12 – Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos put up 45 goals and 91 points and made the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2010-11. He was put on the cover for the 2011-12 season. Stamkos then scored 60 goals to win his first and only Maurice Richard Trophy. He also put up 97 points and returned to the NHL Second All-Star Team. The only thing that went wrong was Tampa Bay not making the playoffs. Certainly not the fault of the 60-goal scorer. Nope, no curse.

• NHL 13 – Claude Giroux

Giroux was emerging as a top center with a 93-point season in 77 games in 2011-12. Unfortunately for him, the NHL locked out the players again and so the 2012-13 season was shortened. Giroux continued to be a point machine, though. He put up 48 in 48 games. He did not get votes for awards like he did in the previous season but he was still an important and available player for the Flyers back then. Can’t call this a curse either.

• NHL 14 – Martin Brodeur

Brodeur won a fan vote for this one. This was more of a lifetime achievement as the 40-year old was, well, playing like a 40-year old. 2013-14 would be the final season of Martin Brodeur as a player in New Jersey. Since his numbers did not get much worse (90.1% in the season before and the season after) and the circumstances for his appearance, I cannot say there was a curse here either.

• NHL 15 – Patrice Bergeron

Bergeron put up 62 points and won the Selke in 2013-14. Bergeron put up 55 points and won the Selke in 2014-15. No curse.

• NHL 16 – Jonathan Toews

Kane was supposed to join Toews for this cover but allegations that were eventually dropped led EA to just have Toews on the cover. Toews was coming off winning his one and only Mark Messier Leadership Award, which is hardly an award. He had 58 points in 80 games then along with finishing fourth for the Selke. In 2015-16, he had 58 points in 72 games and finished fifth for the Selke. More or less steady but not a curse.

• NHL 17 – Vladimir Tarasenko

Tarasenko put up 40 goals and 74 points in 2015-16 and it seemed like he would be the next big scorer in the NHL. His 2016-17 season saw him put up 39 goals and 75 points while also finishing second for the Lady Byng and just outside of the NHL All-Star Teams. His 2015-16 season did have him make the NHL Second All-Star Team but I would not call one fewer goal, one less accolade, and one more point a significant enough downgrade to call it a curse. No curse again.

• NHL 18 – Connor McDavid

McDavid put up 100 points for the first time in his career in 2016-17. He won the Hart, the Ross, the Pearson, and made the NHL First All-Star Team. In 2017-18, McDavid did not win the Hart. That went to Taylor Hall. But he won those other awards, put up 41 goals, and 108 points. No curse of course.

• NHL 19 – P.K. Subban

Subban’s last great season was in 2017-18. He put up 59 points in 82 games for Nashville, made the NHL Second All-Star Team, finished third for the Norris, and continued to play a ton of minutes. In 2018-19, he only got into 63 games due to injury, he put up 31 points, and his game was starting to get away from him. Nashville would trade him to New Jersey at the 2019 NHL Draft. Subban is a celebrity, but his cover came after his star-making years. Curse

• NHL 20 – Auston Matthews

Auston Matthews made the cover after a 37-goal, 73-point season where he played in 68 games. In 2019-20, Matthews scored 47 goals, put up 80 points, played in two more games, and finished second for the Lady Byng and just missed out on the NHL All-Star Teams. Matthews was emerging as a scoring machine in 2019-20. EA maybe got him on the cover early. Still Not a Curse.

• NHL 21 – Alexander Ovechkin

As this game came out in 2020, the 2020-21 season would be used. Ovechkin, at this point, is a Name and a Legend so a safe choice to put on the cover of a game. He was also coming off a league-leading 48 goals in 2019-20 before the season was cut short. In the shortened 2021 season, he put up just 24 goals but also 42 points in 45 games. A lesser season, but again, not so much so to say that the cover held him back. Not cursed

• NHL 22 – Auston Matthews

Matthews led the NHL in goals in the COVID-shortened 2021 season with 41 in 52 games. He did make the NHL Second All-Star Team, finished third for Lady Byng, and finished second for the Hart. Got all that? Because Matthews blew that season away in 2021-22. 60 goals. 106 points for his first triple-digit scoring season. He made the NHL First All-Star Team and won both the Hart and the Pearson. Totally not a curse.

• NHL 23 – Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse

Zegras finished second for the Calder and made the NHL All Rookie team in 2021-22. EA must have thought he would be the next big thing. Not quite yet. His 2022-23 season was more or less fine with 23 goals and 65 points in 81 games. But the star power was not there. Nurse made the roster after a massive performance for Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Nurse was a PWPHA player so she is currently doing business in the PWHL. Was her 2023 a drop off? Kind of? She was absolutely not the top defenseman at the 2023 World Championships and Canada finished second to America. Hard to call it a curse but Zegras did not take a step forward and Nurse could not replicate her great 2022. A curse – kind of.

• NHL 24 – Cale Makar

Cale Makar made the cover after putting up 66 points while being limited to 60 games. He still made the NHL Second All-Star Team and finished third for the Norris. In 2023-24, Makar was much healthier so he appeared in 77 games. He also put up a whole lot more on the scoresheet; he finished the season with 90 points. He finished third again for the Norris and made the NHL Second All-Star Team. No curse here whatsoever.

Total: By count and some generous stretches of what is a curse, there have been eight times where the cover athlete of a NHL game could be called cursed. Whether that is due to an injury or a notably poorer season depends on the player and season. This is eight out of 33 assuming I counted this correctly.

The larger point is that being on the cover of an EA Sports NHL game is not something that will likely doom a player to have a bad season or an injury-shortened season or something at all. The curse is not a real thing for this series. So be happy that Jack Hughes is on the cover of the Standard Edition of NHL 25. Be happy that the Hughes Brothers are on the Deluxe Edition cover and have been featured in the reveal of the latest title of this series. Be happy that two of these are New Jersey Devils players. Be happy that The Big Deal continues to be seen as one.

Whether or not NHL 25 is an upgrade or not from NHL 24 or past games, well, I will leave that up to the Chel enthusiasts. Thank you for reading.