One player from each NHL team who should be on the NHL 18 cover

Chicago Blackhawks: Marian Hossa

The Chicago Blackhawks have been accused of favoritism by the NHL, and EA’s treatment of them has only further backed up those claims.

Following a deep playoff run, NHL 10 had Patrick Kane plastered on the cover. They also included a song written specifically for the Blackhawks, “Keys to the City”, on the soundtrack. But unlike Madden, that move didn’t jinx them. Instead, Kane finished with the same number of points that he wears on the back of his jersey while the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

EA looked like they were tempting fate when they put Jonathan Toews on the cover the very next year. But it didn’t have the same effect as the Blackhawks lost in the first round that season despite almost coming back from a 3-0 deficit.

In the ultimate troll move, EA decided to forego a fan vote for NHL 16’s cover athlete. And after winning the Cup, they made a special cover of Toews and Kane holding it together. But Kane’s trial prompted EA to remove him from the cover, while the Hawks lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues – a team that they always beat in the playoffs.

If they went with a Hawks player for NHL 18, there might be actual riots. But if there’s one player they can choose that everyone would be okay with, it’s Marian Hossa. Despite being 37, he’s proven that he can still be a premier goalscorer as he has started the season with eight goals while averaging a point per game.

His path to the Cup was also one that everyone could root for. Within a year of getting dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they made it to the Cup Final, but they were too inexperienced, and lost to a juggernaut Detroit Red Wings team.

Following that loss, Hossa rejected a five-year deal to instead sign with Detroit because he thought they would give him a better chance to win a Cup. He was betraying teams before Kevin Durant made it cool. Sure enough, they got back to the Finals, but they lost in seven games to… you guessed it, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Hossa became a highly sought after free agent, and this time he signed with a team that he beat: the Chicago Blackhawks, in the Conference Finals. They proved they were all-in on winning when they inked him to a 12-year deal worth $62.8 million. The Blackhawks’ Cup Final appearance in 2010 was the third straight time Hossa made it there, but they proved that the third time was the charm when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.

With a contract like that, the Blackhawks were going to ride or die with Hossa, but so far, they’ve been riding. After it looked like he would never win a Cup, he’s won three with Chicago. He’s a great presence in the locker room, and is one of the guys the younger players look up to.

With five more seasons, including this one, left on his deal, many are wondering how much longer Hossa can be productive. But given what we’ve seen from Jaromir Jagr, it’s not crazy to think that he can still put up good numbers even when he’s well into his 40s.