Overview
- EA Sports announced on Tuesday that San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will be the cover athlete for NHL 27, and the publisher said he is the youngest player ever chosen for the franchise’s cover.
- Celebrini earned the honor after a breakout 2025–26 season in which he recorded 115 points with 45 goals and 70 assists and finished fourth in NHL scoring.
- His international play bolstered the case: Celebrini scored five goals and 10 points for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal, and later captained Canada at the IIHF World Championship.
- EA has scheduled the NHL 27 reveal trailer for July 16 at 11:00 a.m. ET but has not confirmed a single retail release date; outlets report an early‑to‑mid September launch with at least one source citing Sept. 4 as possible.
- Celebrini is only the second San Jose Sharks player to appear on an EA NHL cover since Owen Nolan in 2001, a sign that EA is betting on a young superstar to lead the game’s marketing push.