Brady Tkachuk Named NHL 26 Cover Athlete

© EA Sports

Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk will join his brother Matthew and father Keith on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 Deluxe Edition.

The Deluxe Edition cover features Matthew in the center, flanked by Brady and Keith. Matthew will also feature solo on the Standard Edition of NHL 26, lifting the Stanley Cup.

“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” Brady said via NHL.com. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honor to be featured on the cover, and having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”

The popularity of the Tkachuk family rose to another level this past season, with the brother duo cementing themselves as the faces of Team USA at the 4-Nations Face-Off in February, followed by Matthew's second straight Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers.

Matthew echoed Brady's sentiment regarding the cover.

“My dad, Brady and I are all unique and play the way we want to,” Matthew said. “Sharing the cover of NHL 26 is an extension of that."

Keith suited up for 1,201 NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. On the cover, he's sporting a Blues jersey. For the Tkachuk patriarch, it's just as special sharing the cover with his two sons.

"I always told the boys to play hard, be smart, and never lose their personality out there," Keith said. "What you see now is two players with totally unique styles, and I’m proud to be sharing the cover with them.”

The Tkachuk brothers' next goal will be capturing Olympic gold in Italy come February, with both Matthew and Brady among the first six players named to Team USA.

NHL 26 is set to release on Sept. 12, but a pre-order grants players 7-day early access.

It's the first time a member of the Ottawa Senators will grace the cover of an EA Sports release, and the first NHL game since Jason Spezza was featured on Take-Two Interactive's NHL 2K8.

Daniel Alfredsson (2009), Mika Zibanejad (2013), and Craig Anderson (2014) have also been featured on regional-exclusive NHL game copies in Sweden and Ottawa, respectively.

Via the EA Sports Press Release:

Electronic Arts Inc. today unveils EA SPORTS™ NHL® 26, launching September 12, 2025, on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S with a new level of on-ice authenticity and superstar quality.

Back-to-back Stanley Cup champion, Matthew Tkachuk, graces the cover of the deluxe edition alongside his brother, Brady, and their father, Keith, in a dream lineup uniting hockey’s present and past. With real-world NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player Tracking) powering gameplay, in partnership with the NHL, and a reimagined Be A Pro mode that immerses players in the stakes and emotions of playing at the highest level, NHL 26 delivers an immersive and intense experience for hockey fans around the world.

This year’s cover athletes challenge traditional notions of NHL superstardom. Matthew Tkachuk, known for his relentless physicality and skill, has captivated fans with a signature style that breaks the conventional playbook. Bringing together two generations of Tkachuks, the cover highlights a family that’s carved its own path with individuality, edge, and an unyielding drive to win.