It’s "NHL 23" launch week, baby.
EA Sports announced the list of alumni added to the newest game, set for release this week. Among the biggest names are Henrik Lundqvist, Daniel Alfredsson, Jaromir Jagr, Bill Guerin and Scott Hartnell.
Lundqvist was the most recent of the group to play in the NHL, playing in 30 games with the New York Rangers in 2019-20. He signed with the Washington Capitals in 2020-21, but health issues prompted him to retire and begin a career in television, among other post-career duties. Lundqvist was one of the best goaltenders in real life and in-game during his career, ranking as the top goalie in the EA Sports series on multiple occasions. He served as the cover athlete of the Swedish version of "NHL 07," becoming the first goaltender to grace the cover of a European copy.
Alfredsson, who is set to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this fall, served as Sweden’s cover star for "NHL 09," the last game to feature a PC version. Alfredsson had 1,157 points in an 18-year career, serving as captain of the Ottawa Senators from 1999-2013. He finished his career with a solid 49-point run with the Detroit Red Wings in 2014 and was one of Sweden’s best players on the gold medal-winning Olympic team in 2006.
Jagr is technically still active at 50 years old, but he hasn’t played with the team he owns, Kladno, in the Czechia league this season and is considering retirement. Jagr was the cover athlete for the Czech version of "NHL 08."
The game, available now if you ordered the X-Factor special edition, is set for the formal worldwide launch on Friday, Oct. 14 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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