Set your reminders because in just a few days, EA will fully unveil NHL 26. In the meantime, they given us a sneak peek at this year's game by revealing Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachu as the cover athlete of this year's game.
The first Panthers player to be on the cover of the video game since John Vanbiesbrouck in 1997, Matthew Tkachuk has been instrumental to the success of the team. Having played his first six seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames, Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers in July 2022.
The Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first three seasons with the team, including back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Matthew Tkachuk appeared in 52 games during the 2024–25 season, tallying 22 goals and 35 assists. But it was his standout performance in the playoffs that likely earned him the coveted cover spot for NHL 26. Tkachuk tied for the team lead in postseason points with 23 (eight goals, 15 assists), helping power the Panthers to their second straight championship.
The announcement was not without the usual lively debate with some arguing that EA should've chosen Alexander Ovechkin instead. The 39-year-old Ovechkin was 37th in the league in points during the season, which included breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record for career goals. It's possible that Ovechkin's incredible accomplishment may still be honored in the from a special edition cover, but so far nothing has been announced.
Last year's NHL 25 featured three cover athletes with Hughes brothers: Quinn, Jack, and Luke Hughes.
More details on NHL 26 are set to be revealed this Thursday, August 6th. The reveal trailer is also scheduled on YouTube for noon Eastern Time.
NHL 25 earned mixed reviews upon release last year, although it earned praise for its next-gen ICE-Q gameplay, which included more responsive skating, smarter teammates, reactive actions, and skill-based one-timers. Other notable highlights included a revamped Franchise Mode and enhanced visuals powered by the Frostbite engine and SAPIEN technology. Despite these improvements, Franchise Mode was still seen as a disappointment thanks to lag. The game's online modes were also polarizing due to their heavy monetization.
Hopefully, EA took a lot of this feedback to heart and made imrovements to these lackluster areas. Be sure to check back later this week for the reveal of NHL 26. A release date and platforms were not announced yet, but we can probably expect a September launch for Xbox Series X|S and PS5.