Alex Ovechkin will rock the cover of EA Sports’ latest NHL video game, NHL 21. It’s the second time that Ovechkin has been honored as the cover athlete for the EA Sports franchise.

Ovechkin was revealed as the cover athlete on the new trailer promoting the game, which was first released at 11 AM.

Trailer

Narrator: Picture this. You’re one of the greatest prospects to ever come from your country. Picture being thrust into a foreign culture and can barely speak the language. But you do speak one language that everyone understands. Picture yourself celebrating every goal like its your first. But maybe like it’ll be your last. You make a big splash because it’s who you are and that puts a big target on your back. But you don’t shy away from the spotlight. You long for it. You command it. You make the impossible look easy. Picture yourself inspiring the next generation.

Auston Matthews quote on The Goal: I was at that game. That memory’s just kind of ingrained in my mind. Probably the greatest goal I’ve ever seen.

Narrator: Picture re-writing the blueprint of creativity, on passion, on a way to play. And the critics who pointed at the one thing you couldn’t do, picture silencing them. And then all the doubters they can’t picture anything without you and your rivals. And then the next generation, they recognitions how much you mean to hockey and how much you love it. So as you picture your path to greatness, what does it look like?

“It’s a huge honor to be on the cover of NHL 21 for the second cover in my career,” Alex Ovechkin said in a release. “More importantly, I’m glad I’m looking just as good on the cover this year as I did in 2007!!!”

Ovechkin also appeared on the Russian version of NHL 09.

NHL 21 will be released on October 16 for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There are three different Ovechkin covers for the game including standard edition, champions edition, and The Great 8 edition.

“From top Russian prospect, to goalscoring rookie sensation, to young-at-heart elder statesman of the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin has continued to evolve since he entered the league,” EA Sports wrote promoting the game.

huge honor to have cover for second time!!!!thx to @easportsNHL !! #NHL21 Pre-order now 👉https://t.co/ZdOOpsuTGz pic.twitter.com/Fhk2BLPNsa

— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) August 24, 2020

According to EA Sports, the gameplay in NHL 21 has gotten smarter, faster, and flashier with innovative moves and massive improvements on both sides of the puck.

Players now have more options than ever before to take control of the game and impose their playstyle on opponents. Players can dazzle with slips, banks and chips, while pulling off some of the most recognizable superstar-inspired moves. However, players will also have to deal with improved goalie positioning and control, as netminders are adapting to the game’s skill level faster than ever before with brand-new desperation moves and animations.

More from EA Sports:

EA SPORTS NHL 21 DROPS THE PUCK OCTOBER 16; HOCKEY LEGEND ALEX OVECHKIN REVEALED AS COVER ATHLETE

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 24, 2020 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that EA SPORTS™ NHL ® 21 is coming to the PlayStation 4 And Xbox One on October 16 and unveiled a first look at Stanley Cup ® winner Alex Ovechkin as the game’s cover athlete, for the second time.

Ovechkin has been one of the most influential and impactful players in hockey and has become something of a muse for the development team, mapping the game’s innovation against the game-changing impact he has had on the sport. This iteration of the franchise brings to life a revamped Be A Pro experience, expanded creative gameplay, the new Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) RUSH, and World of CHEL additions offering players the opportunity to create an Ovechkin-esque style and legacy.

“It’s a huge honor to be on the cover of NHL 21 for the second cover in my career,” said Alex Ovechkin “More importantly, I’m glad I’m looking just as good on the cover this year as I did in 2007!!!”

NHL 21 delivers a fresh feel to the franchise with an overhauled Be A Pro mode. The brand new Be A Pro experience enhances the game’s narrative and quality of life, giving players the chance to live the life of an NHL star, both on and off the ice. Impress the front office, go early on draft day, and chase greatness as players earn a spot on the first line, compete for the Stanley Cup, and become the league’s next best. Players can work their way from a chippy bottom six forward to a must-see superstar.

“Our community has been asking for an invigorating Be A Pro experience that puts them in the same spotlight as their favorite NHL stars, like Alex Ovechkin,” said Sean Ramjagsingh, Executive Producer of NHL 21. “Ovechkin’s gameplay legacy, on and off the ice, is helping us to bring the next generation of EA SPORTS NHL gameplay to life with NHL 21.”

Gameplay in NHL 21 has also gotten smarter, faster and a whole lot flashier with innovative moves and massive improvements on both sides of the puck. Players now have more options than ever before to take control of the game and impose their playstyle on opponents. Players can dazzle with slips, banks and chips, while pulling off some of the most recognizable superstar-inspired moves. However, players will also have to deal with improved goalie positioning and control, as netminders are adapting to the game’s skill level faster than ever before with brand-new desperation moves and animations.

This year’s iteration also takes HUT, the game mode that allows players to create their fantasy lineup of NHL players, alumni, and icons, and compete with them online, to the next level with HUT RUSH. HUT RUSH is a streamlined version of HUT that lets players jump into HUT games quickly, rack up achievements, and unlock rewards by scoring with style. With a scoring system that rewards skill and creativity, HUT RUSH will provide plenty of cannot miss moments.

In World of CHEL, the new Ranked Seasons allow players to compete across each of the four modes – ONES, THREES, Drop-In or Clubs – to earn rewards and play in the new EASHL Club Finals. Player and team success will be rewarded with unique gear, items and vanity sets to flaunt domination.

Additionally, Franchise Mode adds an exciting experience for one of the marquee events of every season: the Trade Deadline. Players will feel the pressure of the approaching deadline with real-time updates that lead to important decisions on which players to target and trade for. Just like the real trade deadline, the market value of players will fluctuate as the day goes on, and live trade alerts will move rapidly via the trade deadline ticker.

Fans that pre-order* today will get a variety of in-game content. The NHL 21 Great Eight Edition offers fans up to 10 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs, HUT Synergy Veteran Choice Pack, HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack, three Days Early Access, Be A Pro XP Boost and Bonus Trait and Specialization Points and five Unlocked World of Chel Hockey Bags. All pre-order editions and information can be found here. In addition to pre-order incentives, NHL 21 will offer a Veteran Bonus to longtime fans of the franchise, by rewarding up to 10 HUT loyalty reward packs based on the player’s ownership of the past three EA SPORTS NHL titles.

NHL 21 will be available on October 16, 2020 for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Members of EA Play can be among the first to interact with new features a week early on October 9. For more information on EA SPORTS NHL, visit easports.com/NHL.