Vancouver Canucks all-star left winger Markus Naslund has signed with Electronic Arts, the world's leading interactive software company, to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA SPORTS NHL 2005 game. Reflecting the game's innovation of open ice control, Naslund is the perfect fit for the cover of EA SPORTS' NHL franchise's 13th season of world championship hockey.
Introducing the new EA SPORTS Open Ice Control, NHL 2005 will give fans the opportunity to play as the hockey greats do. Players can execute offensive plays such as Give-and-Go's and breakaway passes or call for a defensive double team with the touch of a button. A completely overhauled skating engine captures both the explosive speed of offensive skating and the surgical precision of backwards defensive movement.
"Being selected as an EA SPORTS cover athlete is one of the most prestigious distinctions in pro sports," Naslund said. "I've been playing the EA SPORTS NHL series since the beginning back in the early 90s. I can't wait to be more involved with NHL 2005, it promises to be the best yet."
Recognized as one of the most dynamic stars in the NHL, Naslund is known for his ability to control the flow of play at both ends of the ice. Named the NHL's most outstanding player in 2003, Naslund captained the Canucks to their first division title in 11 years this past season and will be representing Sweden in this fall's World Cup of Hockey.
Developed by EA Canada, NHL 2005 will be available on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube and PC this fall. The official home page for NHL 2005 is http://www.nhl05.com.
