EA Sports will add PWHL teams and players to NHL 25

Professional players and teams from the Women’s Hockey League will soon be featured in NHL 25, EA Sports announced Wednesday.

Starting December 5, all six PWHL teams – the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Scepters – will be integrated into the game as part of a multi-year partnership between the video game developer and the league. .

“EA SPORTS is proud to support the PWHL, which has pioneered the growth of women’s hockey in North America,” Andrea Hopelain, the GM and senior vice president of publishing at EA Sports, said in a statement. “We look forward to working together to help expand and grow women’s hockey among new and existing fans around the world, starting by bringing PWHL teams and athletes to EA SPORTS NHL 25.”

Women’s hockey was first introduced in an NHL 22 update, with the addition of IIHF Women’s National Team members. The following year, Team Canada’s Sarah Nurse made history as the first women’s hockey player to be featured on the cover of an EA Sports NHL game as one of two cover athletes for NHL 23, alongside Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras.

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Still, the integration of the PWHL into the game is a major first for the league as it enters its second season.

“As someone who grew up with the EA NHL franchise, I am honored that the next generation of women’s hockey players will have the opportunity to play the game like me and my teammates in the PWHL,” said Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise. “It’s so meaningful that young girls can see themselves in the game. It is a major milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that the prominence of women in hockey only continues to grow.”

PWHL franchises will be featured in the game’s play modes, Online Versus, Shootout and Season. The PWHL’s newly released uniforms will be available in “World of Chel,” with players, logos and uniforms all available in “Hockey Ultimate Team.” The Walter Cup – the competition’s championship trophy, designed by luxury jeweler Tiffany and Co. – will also be in play.

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According to a press release from EA Sports, the NHL game will also launch 4 Nations Face-Off content early next year, ahead of the international tournament featuring NHL stars from the US, Canada, Finland and Sweden.

(Photo courtesy of EA Sports)