Claude Giroux defeats Pekka Rinne in NHL13 cover voting

For the first time ever, EA Sports turned the voting over to the fans for who would grace the cover of the NHL13 game that will be released in September.

With finalists, Pekka Rinne and Claude Giroux on the stage at the Wynn Encore Theater in Las Vegas, Giroux was unveiled as the winner. No vote totals were released but it was previously announced that less than a few thousand votes separated the finalist in the final hours.

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EA SPORTS AND NHL.COM ANNOUNCE CLAUDE GIROUX AS FAN-SELECTED EA SPORTS NHL13 COVER ATHLETE

Cover Athlete Unveiled During Live Broadcast of 2012 NHL Awards

Fans Cast Nearly 26 Million Votes In The First Ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote Campaign, Sponsored by BlackBerry

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - June 20, 2012 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and NHL.com announced today during the live broadcast of the 2012 NHL AwardsTM that Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux has been selected by fans as the EA SPORTS NHL®13 cover athlete. Giroux beat Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the final of the first ever EA SPORTS NHL® Cover Vote campaign by less than a one percent margin, in what was the closest matchup of the entire campaign. NHL 13 will be available on September 11, 2012 in North America and September 14, 2012 in Europe.

“The support fans have given me throughout the campaign has been unbelievable,” said Flyers forward Claude Giroux. “I am very excited to be on the cover of NHL 13 and I want to thank everyone who campaigned and voted for me - especially my teammates, the Flyers organization, and of course all the NHL fans who voted and tweeted.”

Between March 29 and June 4, fans cast nearly 26 million votes on NHL.com throughout the campaign, which was sponsored by BlackBerry®. During the finals alone, more than two million votes were cast.

“The level of passion that the fans, players, and NHL teams have displayed throughout the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign has been overwhelming,” said Dean Richards, General Manager, NHL, EA SPORTS. “The EA SPORTS NHL Franchise has had a rich tradition of outstanding cover athletes and quality games, and we feel privileged to introduce Claude Giroux as the face of NHL 13 as selected by the fans. With Giroux on the cover and our revolutionary new True Performance Skating engine, we feel great about delivering our most innovative title yet with NHL 13.”

“The EA SPORTS NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign presented by BlackBerry was a success in every measurable way,” said Dave McCarthy, NHL Vice President of Consumer Products Marketing. “From nearly 26 million votes cast, to fan and player engagement across social media platforms, to the validation of NHL.com’s standing as the number one destination for hockey fans, the NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign exceeded our expectations.”

“Congratulations to Claude on being chosen by the fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 13 cover athlete,” said Adam Larry, NHLPA Director of Licensing and Associate Counsel. “We cannot say enough about the amazing job done by all those involved with the EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign. The terrific support that all 60 participating NHL players received from not only fans and gamers, but also other NHL players, the teams, teammates, friends and Twitter followers, drove the success of the campaign in its first year.”

The NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign gave fans the opportunity to select the face of the EA SPORTS NHL® franchise as they were able to vote for their favorite candidate at http://www.nhl.com/covervote. The campaign was embraced by NHL fans, teams and players who utilized social media platforms to campaign. Outstanding examples of team and player engagement during the cover vote final include:

    ·  Claude Giroux - From the First Shift...
    ·  Pekka Rinne - The Most Interesting Goalie in the League

NHL 13 Delivers Major Innovations that will Change the Way You Play the Game

EA SPORTS NHL 13 promises the biggest change to the franchise since the introduction of the Skill Stick in NHL® 07. Headlined by all-new True Performance Skating, and supported by an innovative new A.I. system dubbed EA SPORTS Hockey I.Q., NHL 13 will deliver a revamped gameplay experience that accurately captures the speed, creativity and strategy of NHL hockey.

‘Every Stride Matters’, the latest trailer for NHL 13 can be viewed here.

In addition, NHL 13 will also deliver new experiences that connect hockey fans to their friends and the real world of hockey with the all-new GM Connected and NHL Moments Live modes.

More Later...

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