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NHL 23 will feature Sarah Nurse as franchise's first ever female cover athlete

A star of Canada's national hockey team, Sarah Nurse will join Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks on the cover of NHL 23.

TJ Denzer

August 24, 2022 8:00 AM

Image via Electronic Arts

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This year marks a notable first for the EA Sports NHL franchise. Where NHL 22 was the first in the franchise to officially add women’s teams to the game, NHL 23 intends to put them more front and center. For the first time ever, a female athlete will grace the cover of the game. Olympic gold medalist Sarah Nurse of Canada’s women’s national hockey team will join Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras on the cover of NHL 23.

The announcement of NHL 23’s cover stars was announced in a press release on August 24, 2022. The announcement confirmed Sarah Nurse’s place on the cover of the game in a duo spotlight alongside Trevor Zegras. Nurse is a longtime player in women’s hockey, having made appearances in multiple international championships, including the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing where Nurse scored the opening goal of the Gold medal game in which Canada defeated the United States in a 3-2 victory. She has remained an independent member of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association.

Sarah Nurse was thrilled to take part in history with the EA Sports NHL franchise. Cover stars of various EA Sports games have become a bit of a hallowed ground and it’s a fact not lost on Nurse.

“It is such a tremendous honor to be the first woman on the cover of the EA SPORTS NHL franchise,” said Nurse. “Hockey is really for everybody and I’m excited that NHL 23 is celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of the sport. I hope that the increased representation of women in such a prominent game will inspire young girls everywhere to know that there is a place for them in hockey.”

Despite its issues, NHL 22 was the first game to bring women’s teams to the game, which is still a highlight of the game’s lifespan. It seems obvious that NHL 23 will continue that dedication, though we’ll see to what to degree. A full reveal of the game is coming on August 25. Stay tuned for more details as we await everything that’s in store in the new game this week.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.