Today, EA Sports’ NHL 25 gameplay trailer premieres to an audience of gamers who highly anticipating their annual hockey game. The trio of Hughes brothers will represent the game as the cover athletes.
All of this has got me thinking… how long has it been since we’ve seen a cover athlete who was once in the QMJHL on a hockey video game cover? Who was the first? How many former QMJHL players have been on the covers, and who was on them the most times?
Luckily for you, all these questions will be answered in this article. Let’s take a look at the six former QMJHL players turned cover athletes for seven NHL-themed video games.
Mario Lemieux, EA Sports’ NHL 02
The first former QMJHL player to have appeared on a hockey video game cover is Mario Lemieux, doing so on EA Sports’ NHL 2002. Lemieux played three seasons for the Laval Voisins (now the Acadie–Bathurst Titan), amassing a whopping 247 goals and 562 points in only 200 games played, placing him eighth in goals and fifth in points all-time in the QMJHL.
The NHL 02 cover sees an action shot of Lemieux skating with the famous “robo penguin” jersey just one season after returning from a three-season break. This game was released on PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Xbox and Windows.
Jeremy Roenick, NHL 2K3 and NHL ESPN Hockey (also known as NHL 2K4)
The next player on this is quite unique for two reasons. Firstly, he’s the only former QMJHL player to have appeared on a game cover twice. Secondly, he’s the only one to have appeared as cover athlete for a game in the NHL 2K hockey video game franchise. He first appeared on the NHL 2K3 game in an action shot of him skating. He appeared once again as member of the Flyers for a second time in two years. But this time, he posed for a much more dramatic looking cover.
Roenick didn’t have a lengthy QMJHL career but still put up 34 goals and 70 points in only 28 games. In the NHL, Roenick played for five different teams and amassed 513 goals and 1216 points in 1363 career regular season games.
Vincent Lecavalier, EA Sports’ NHL 06
The second former QMJHL player to make it on an EA video game cover is another former NHL first overall pick. In two seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic, Vincent Lecavalier put up 86 goals and 217 points in only 122 games. He spent a majority of his NHL career playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, with a few seasons in the end with the Flyers and his final one with the Los Angeles Kings.
For his cover, Lecavalier is in the middle of taking a pretty heavy slapshot from the looks of it on his face. This game was released on PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and Windows.
Claude Giroux, EA Sports’ NHL 13
The last three NHL video game covers containing stars from the QMJHL came three editions in a row with Claude Giroux kicking off the streak. The former Gatineau Olympiques assistant captain put up 125 goals and 321 points in 187 QMJHL regular season games.
For his cover, Giroux is in an action shot which sees him motion either for a pass or to tap in a goal. This game was released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Martin Brodeur, EA Sports’ NHL 14
The last goalie to have appeared on an NHL video game cover is also the only former QMJHL goalie to have done so. Martin Brodeur is regarded as one of the best goalies of all time on one of the best NHL video games of all time.
The former St. Hyacinthe Laser (now the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) appeared on a video game cover at the beginning of his last of 22 seasons with the New Jersey Devils. As you could imagine, Brodeur was making a spectacular glove save on his cover. NHL 14 was released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Patrice Bergeron, EA Sports’ NHL 15
The last former QMJHL player to appear as a cover athlete on an NHL video game is Patrice Bergeron, ten years ago. In two seasons with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan, Bergeron put up 23 goals and 74 points in 74 QMJHL regular season games, adding another six goals and 15 points in 11 postseason games.
On his cover, the six-time Selke Trophy winner is in motion while handling the puck. In addition to having released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, this is the only game to have been released on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
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