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Toronto Maple Leafs to Hoist the Stanley Cup® for the First Time in Over 50 Years, Predicted by EA Sports™ NHL® 19 Simulation

October 2, 2018

Watch the Toronto Maple Leafs Defeat the San Jose Sharks For the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With the 2018-19 NHL® season set to start next week, EA SPORTS™ NHL® 19today released the results of its annual season simulation. In what has become an annual tradition, the EA SPORTS NHL simulation predicts who makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs, who takes home the major awards and which team will hoist the Stanley Cup®, ahead of each season start.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181002005304/en/

Toronto Maple Leafs To Hoist The Stanley Cup For The First Time In Over 50 Years, Predicted By EA SP ...

Toronto Maple Leafs To Hoist The Stanley Cup For The First Time In Over 50 Years, Predicted By EA SPORTS NHL 19 Simulation (Graphic: Business Wire)

Big off-season acquisitions played a large role in the NHL® 19 simulation this year. Led by star center John Tavares, this year’s predicted Conn Smythe Trophy winner, the high-octane Maple Leafs dominate the Eastern Conference before defeating the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, ending a 50-year championship drought for the Original Six franchise.

A link to the NHL® 19 blog post detailing all the results can be found here.

Some other notable predictions from the season simulation include:

  • Following an off-season full of rumors and uncertainty surrounding his future in Ottawa, Erik Karlsson settled down with his new team, leading the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final and claiming his third James Norris Memorial Trophy, as the league’s best defenseman
  • Former NHL® 18 cover athlete Connor McDavid continued to dominate the league, taking home the Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP) and Art Ross Trophy (scoring champion)
  • The Vegas Golden Knights proved to be more than a one-year-wonder, claiming the Presidents Trophy thanks to a league-high 118 points
  • Led by NHL® 19 cover star P.K. Subban, the Nashville Predators again made a deep run into the playoffs, before losing in the Western Conference Final to San Jose
  • Powered by #1 overall pick and Calder Memorial Trophy winner Rasmus Dahlin, the Buffalo Sabres returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season

NHL ® 19 launched to critical acclaim on September 14, heralded as “the best playing hockey game of the generation” by Game Informer and “the best sports game currently on the market” by Inside Hockey. NHL® 19 introduces players to the World of CHEL where they can compete in the great outdoors and journey from the pond to the pros. Powered by the revolutionary RPM Tech gameplay technology, NHL® 19 delivers all-new skating and collision physics systems that make gameplay look, feel and play better. In addition, over 200 playable hockey Legends gives fans the chance to compete with and against the greatest players to ever lace up their skates.

The EA SPORTS NHL season simulation is conducted annually by artificial intelligence that uses real-life data from each player. Results are determined by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.

In fiscal year 2018, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.15 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Battlefield, The Sims, Need for Speed, Dragon Age, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.

NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and Original Six is a trademark of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved.

Electronic Arts
Jino Talens, 650-628-9111
Sr. PR Manager
jtalens@ea.com
or
Danica Stanczak
Publicist, 650-628-3722
dstanczak@ea.com

Source: Electronic Arts