EA Sports has revealed its standard edition cover athlete for NHL 26: Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.
The official cover reveal for the newest 'Chel' game will be on August 6th. This is the first time Matthew Tkachuk will be on the cover of the NHL game. He follows the Hughes brothers, Quinn, Jack and Luke, who were on the cover of the most recent NHL 25.
The two-time Stanley Cup Champion recorded 22 goals and 35 assists last season for 57 points in 52 games during the regular season. In the playoffs, he registered 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 23 games during the Panthers Stanley Cup run while playing through injuries.
In his 9-year career split between the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, Tkachuk has amassed 240 goals and 396 points for 636 points in 642 regular season games. In the playoffs, the 27-year-old has produced 32 goals and 52 assists for 84 points in 94 games.
He’s a tone-setter, a leader, and now a cover star.
— NHL (@NHL) August 4, 2025
Matthew Tkachuk is the face of #NHL26.
See the full reveal August 6th: https://t.co/gsLeVReKbu pic.twitter.com/S24tmSe834
This news comes after reports that the start of Matthew Tkachuk's 25-26 season could be in jeopardy due to injury. It is rumored that he will miss the first half of the season. However, he should be ready to go around the Olympic break, where he will likely be representing Team USA on the world stage.
The release date for NHL 26 has yet to be announced, but it will likely be around the usual timeframe. Expect the game to drop around early to mid-September.