The trip of Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes and Luke Hughes has been announces as this year’s cover athletes for the NHL25 video game. We recently wrote about if current Stanley Cup from the Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk was passed over for this year’s honors. Then we though to ourselves, if the Hughes brothers can be on the cover, why not the Tkachuk brothers?
Could have the Tkachuk brothers on the cover of an NHL video game work?
Imagine looking at NHL26 with brothers Matthew and Brady gracing the cover. Just like all three Hughes brothers, NHL teams north and south of the border will be represented with the Panthers and Brady’s Ottawa Senators. Why not make this a full family affair and have their hockey legend father Keith Tkachuk join them as well? Keith never won a cup in his two decades long career, but was visibly emotional when he was in attendance to watch Matthew win his earlier this summer.
Putting the Tkachuk brothers on the cover seems like a perfect idea, so what could possibly prevent that? While Matthew is living his best life with the Panthers, Brady continues to be the subject of trade rumors. Ottawa has never really taken the next step of its rebuild, with it last season in particular seen as a massive failure. Brady has said he’s committed to the Senators, where he is signed through the 2027-2028 season. New general manager Steve Staos additionally reaffirmed the club’s commitment to the younger Tkachuk as a foundational building block.
Things can change fast, though. What if the Senators have another disappointing season? Would new owner Michael Andlauer decide to set his own course? Tkachuk was a draft pick of the Eugene Melnyk era rebuild, so Andlauer doesn’t have any sentimental attachment that would prevent him from switching course if he decides to. Right now the trade rumors are just that, rumors with no real confirmation. Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, so maybe the powers that decide the NHL video game covers and marketing strategies aren’t entirely convinced.
No NHL cover athlete has been traded mid-season. The closest such example was Dion Phaneuf (you might remember him as Scott Hartnell’s best friend) who was the cover athlete of NHL09 when he was with the Calgary Flames would sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a mid-season trade on season later in January 2010. Stoas is a Michael Andlauer hire, and one of his biggest moves as owner so far. Staos committing to Tkachuk is a good sign that ownership wants to keep Tkachuk in Canada’s capital.
Size of markets might play a factor as well. South Florida is finally start to shake off that “not a hockey market” label it’s pretty much had since the franchise’s inception due to their great success in the past half-decade or so. The Panthers even lead the league in attendance increases last season.
While Ottawa might be Canada’s capital, it’s one of the smaller Canadian markets and in the midst of a rebuilt that has yet to take a step forward. The Senators placed in the bottom ten of NHL attendance, ahead of the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets for Canadian teams, as fans are waiting for the team to rebound before making a return. Not to mention the Senators have seemingly ongoing arena drama about wanting to leave Canadian Tire Center.
Compare that to this year’s cover athletes in the Hughes brothers. Quinn plays in the hockey crazed largest market in Canada not named Toronto or Montreal in Vancouver as his team made a triumphant return to the playoffs. Even if the Devils get overshadowed by the Rangers, Jack and Luke still play in the United States largest media market with New Jersey being considered part of the New York City metro area.
Like we said in our previous article, the NHL cover athlete is chosen on marketability. The ones making those decisions main goal is selling video games, they aren’t NHL front office insiders. Matthew and Brady are marketable, but there are also athletes in the league who don’t have trade rumors over head the way Brady does. Putting Matthew on the cover solo would be a safer option to not trade sweaters during his tenure as that year’s choice.