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[sonycowboy]

Tuesday June 22, 8:02 am ET
Vancouver Canucks All-Star Has Signed as the Cover Athlete for EA SPORTS

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2004--Vancouver Canucks all-star left winger Markus Naslund has signed with Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS - News), the world's leading interactive software company, to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA SPORTS(TM) NHL® 2005 game. Reflecting the game's innovation of open ice control, Naslund is the perfect fit for the cover of EA SPORTS' NHL franchise's 13th season of world championship hockey.

Introducing the new EA SPORTS Open Ice Control, NHL® 2005 will give fans the opportunity to play as the hockey greats do. Players can execute offensive plays such as Give-and-Go's and breakaway passes or call for a defensive double team with the touch of a button. A completely overhauled skating engine captures both the explosive speed of offensive skating and the surgical precision of backwards defensive movement.

"Being selected as an EA SPORTS cover athlete is one of the most prestigious distinctions in pro sports," Naslund said. "I've been playing the EA SPORTS NHL series since the beginning back in the early 90s. I can't wait to be more involved with NHL 2005, it promises to be the best yet."

Recognized as one of the most dynamic stars in the NHL, Naslund is known for his ability to control the flow of play at both ends of the ice. Named the NHL's most outstanding player in 2003, Naslund captained the Canucks to their first division title in 11 years this past season and will be representing Sweden in this fall's World Cup of Hockey.

Developed by EA Canada, NHL 2005 will be available on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube(TM) and PC this fall. The official home page for NHL 2005 is www.nhl05.com.

 

[Jimmy Carter]

Well, there's a good reason not to sign up.

ESPN 2K5, here I come!

 

[shoplifter]

Cue Naslund injury/car crash/murder/slump.

 

[Matlock]

I'm going to say that Naslund gets caught in a tryst involving a Mountie, maple syrup, and a girl wearing a Maple Leafs uniform.

EA Curse needs to be original, you know.

 

[calder]

In other news, Gaming-Age lifer "bishoptl" is now reportedly "conflicted and confused" going into the next hockey game season. His long-time ESPN/2Kx pimping is widely known, but sources indicate bishoptl is well aware that for a Canucks fan any failure to show Naslund the fullest support possible by not choosing EA's game could well lead to the Swedish star ending his career back home playing with childhood friend Peter Forsberg. Veteren forum watchers expect bishoptl to abuse his modding powers to forstall any talk of the dreaded "EA Cover Curse" in relation to his beloved Captain, but whether or not any amount of bannings and locked threads will be able to keep Naslund from a lingering season-ending injury in December or a severely sub-standard campaign remains to be seen.

Fans of the Western Conference Champion Calgary Flames are said to be "smug and self-satisfied" at the thought of Foppa and Nazzy back home in Sweden playing for Mo-Do or whatever the hell team it is they'd play for.

 

[Socreges]

^^ hahaha

Cue Naslund injury/car crash/murder/slump.

Rather, cue "retirement to Sweden". Really. It's been in doubt and now the curse will make it so!

 

[bishoptl]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[bishoptl]

Seriously, I hate each and every one of you jerks.

 

[Mike Works]

They should've put Cloutier on the cover to see if he wouldn't get injured for god damn once.

 

[DMczaf]

 

[calder]

Bah, you Nucks fans get a freebie anyway - there won't be any NHL this year. If the Cover Curse strikes it'll just mean the home team in Ornskoldsvik is short a #1 winger for a few games and Forsberg only gets 6 ppg till Nazzy gets back.

 

[ghostface]

I'll stick with ESPN, thanks. Anyone have any new info on 2K5?

 

[shpankey]

ESPN's Hockey game is soooooo far better than this, I lack the vocabulary to properly inform you just how much.

EA Sports for all the other sports games though. Just not Hockey, SEGA are gods with Hockey.

 

[DopeyFish]

oh we know ESPN is far better than EA's. EA's titles are now used as a wheel of fortune for screwing up a season for certain players This time, it's Vancouver's turn to take the blow, oh yeah.

 

[SickBoy]

I wonder how EA's innovative new "NHL Lockout" game mode will play.

-SB

 

[Kabuki Waq]

I wonder how EA's innovative new "NHL Lockout" game mode will play.

-SB

Im more interested in the NY Rangers Golfing Mini Game.

 

[Malakhov]

Naslund recently sold his house before going back to Sweden for the summer and is heavily thinking of going back to Europe and never play in the NHL again so I have no idea why EA went and got him for the cover.

 

[explodet]

Naslund recently sold his house and is heavily thinking of going back to Europe and never play in the NHL again so I have no idea why EQ went and got him for the cover.

He heard he got chosen for the cover and wants to get out while the getting's good!

 

[DMczaf]

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

hey dudes is ESPN NHL 2005 also going to be $19.99? if so i will own it on day 1. infact, if the entire sega sports line is going to launch @ $19.99, guess what? i will own every sega sports 2k5 game.

 

[DopeyFish]

i'm going to buy espn nhl 2005 on first day regardless of price

 

[Socreges]

Best cover ever.

 

[Kon Tiki]

Bah, I hope someone has the balls, Acclaim I am looking at you, to bring a WHA game out.


Marty St. Louis On the cover of WMA '04 :-o

 

[shpankey]

i'm going to buy espn nhl 2005 on first day regardless of price

Ditto.