On Sept. 8, 2010, Chi-town heroes and 2010 Stanley Cup champs Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were on hand in NYC to kick off the 2011 virtual hockey season with the release of EA Sports NHL 11.
This year’s cover features Chicago Blackhawks star Toews, while last year’s edition featured another ’Hawk—Kane. “Both of us have been on the cover back-to-back years, so you can’t really complain,” Kane says.
Toews agrees. “There’s a lot of great players out there to pick from, and to have that honor [of being a cover athlete], it’s pretty cool.” He also quickly realized one of the top honors of being a cover athlete. “The one thing I like about [NHL 11] is that my guy has a higher rating than Kaner’s, which makes it very realistic,” he jokes.

Regardless of ratings, Kane and Toews aren’t just two young stars paid to endorse the game; they’re also avid gamers who enjoy playing against each other on EA Sports’ virtual ice. “It’s a game that I’ve played ever since I was eight or nine years old,” Kane says. “This year seems so much more realistic. Your stick breaks when you shoot. You play with your feet along the boards. The hitting is more realistic. Every year something comes into play that’s just a little bit different and a little bit more fun.”

Take a tip from the boys of Chi-town and create some fun—and team chemistry—through gaming. “Last year we did something with Mario Kart during the playoffs,” Kane says. “We had two games set up, eight players playing at a time, and it brought us together a bit more away from the rink, which is something you don’t really think about at the time.”
Fire up a game of EA Sports NHL 11 and bond with your team.