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NHL 08 gets Staal-ed

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jun 12, 2007 11:25 am PT

Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal skates away with cover athlete spot for Electronic Arts' next pucks game.

Carolina center Eric Staal

The Carolina Hurricanes are no longer the reigning Stanley Cup champions--the Anaheim Ducks snagged that title last week--but at least the team's star center Eric Staal has a new honor to help fill the Cup-shaped hole in his heart. Electronic Arts today named Staal the cover athlete of the upcoming hockey game NHL 08.

The 23-year-old Staal has played three seasons in the NHL, missing one game, scoring 86 goals and more than 200 points, and winning one Stanley Cup championship for the 2005-2006 season. He joins a number of Cup-winning cover boys for EA's hockey series, including Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux, and Peter Forsberg.

While Staal is the first of his family to grace a game's packaging, he might not be the last. Younger brother Jordan Staal just completed his first year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, led the league in shooting percentage (22.1 percent) and shorthanded goals (7), and is a finalist for the 2007 Calder Trophy, which goes to the most outstanding rookie. Then there's Eric's other younger brothers Marc and Jared, a pair of highly drafted prospects who have yet to make their NHL debuts.

Electronic Arts' NHL 08 is set for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PC this fall.

94 Comments

  • dmcneill777

    Posted Jun 24, 2007 3:54 pm PT

    matnaami: How dare you insult a great hockey player! You shouldn't be judging Staal and Tie Domi by their looks!

  • dmcneill777

    Posted Jun 24, 2007 3:45 pm PT

    I think E. Staal is cool, but they should have put an Anaheim Duck on the cover, since they finally won the Cup

  • seith999

    Posted Jun 23, 2007 7:16 pm PT

    Crosby played the last two weeks of the season on a broke foot and he won the art ross, deffinetly should have been Crosby

  • foever86

    Posted Jun 22, 2007 9:22 pm PT

    i dont care who makes it to the cover...as long as the game is actually good and enjoyable

  • Gretzky_99rockz

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 12:57 pm PT

    Yeah! Go CANES! Eric Staal is a great player. Although there could have been somebody else i think he's a great pick.

  • Neo9898_98

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 6:12 am PT

    Weird Choice... but whatever. Also, No Wii version? Thank god I bought a new graphics card back in November and will be able to play this on my PC.

  • matnaami

    Posted Jun 18, 2007 8:40 am PT

    that sucks.. he looks like an inside out baby... he's ugly as F*** you may as well put friggen Tie Domi on cover... they should have put Koivu since he did win the King Clancy Trophy which recognizes the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice... or how about a good player NOT STAAL... how about Giguere... they dont have players.... crosby is also the NHL's **** hes good but is a little Pu**Y

  • dashizy666

    Posted Jun 15, 2007 10:02 pm PT

    staal was 40th in scoring this is bull.

  • dashizy666

    Posted Jun 15, 2007 9:56 pm PT

    Crosby a wannabe? That's a load of bull. Hew only one the Pearson, hart, and the Art Ross trophies. Yeah he must suck. The cover should have went to Luongo. Staal have a good year last year when he won the Cup. He didn't make the playoffs this year.

  • shadowsniper513

    Posted Jun 14, 2007 10:43 am PT

    yeah hurricanes!

  • slash_rotl

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 2:01 pm PT

    i would have liked more if Crosby was on the cover, but Staal is a great player too..
    Go Pens and Ducks!!!

  • shmenghy

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 11:19 am PT

    ZuljinRaynor :

    "barbierian205 isn't Neidermayer the guy who took a cheap shot on that other guy and got suspended or something? hehe, that's a good choice.

    That was Rob Niedermayer, not Scott."

    it was Pronger, not either of the Niedermayers

  • Full-Throttle

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 10:01 am PT

    I'm really not sure Stall should of gotten the nod. Maybe last year. Atleast it wasn't Crosby I guess.

  • someone068

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 9:21 am PT

    there needs to be a wii hockey game. seriously think about it. it could be awesome.

  • WarGn0mE

    Posted Jun 13, 2007 6:00 am PT

    i agree Unr3al39, kipper definitley deserves a spot on a coer of one of these games. he owns all

  • leafs_ducks

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 10:54 pm PT

    screw crobsy.. that guy is a jerk.. he sux.. hes a wanna be..

  • rupprupp29

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 8:19 pm PT

    Staal is certainly a very good player, but Crosby would be a much better choice for something like this. He's the face of the NHL right now.

    Ask anybody to name one player in the NHL, and I don't think one person would say 'Eric Staal'. A good number would say Crosby.

  • zidanem9c

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 8:15 pm PT

    Oy oy let's not bash on Brodeur now. He's a legend, and a legend he shall remain. And congrats to Staals' brothers on their great accomplishment. Maybe they will be amongst the legends someday.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 7:57 pm PT

    Cool

  • bam_boozled_ber

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 7:38 pm PT

    eric staal is an elite young player you americans dont know hockey. he is a team player and tries his hardest every game. crosby is a weiner and doesnt deserve the cover.

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