REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Electronic Arts Inc. and NHL.com announced today during the live broadcast of the 2012 NHL Awards that Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux has been selected by fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 13 cover athlete.



Giroux beat Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the final of the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign by less than a one percent margin, in what was the closest matchup of the entire campaign. NHL 13 will be available on September 11, 2012 in North America and September 14, 2012 in Europe.

"The support fans have given me throughout the campaign has been unbelievable," said Flyers forward Claude Giroux. "I am very excited to be on the cover of NHL 13 and I want to thank everyone who campaigned and voted for me -- especially my teammates, the Flyers organization, and of course all the NHL fans who voted and tweeted."

Giroux edged Rinne in the final round of the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote by less than a one percent margin -- the closest matchup of the entire campaign. (Photo: EA SPORTS NHL) Giroux edged Rinne in the final round of the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote by less than a one percent margin -- the closest matchup of the entire campaign.

To watch the official EA SPORTS NHL 13 Cover Vote Reveal, click here.

Between March 29 and June 4, fans cast nearly 26 million votes on NHL.com throughout the campaign, which was sponsored by BlackBerry. During the finals alone, more than two million votes were cast.

"The level of passion that the fans, players, and NHL teams have displayed throughout the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign has been overwhelming," said Dean Richards, General Manager, NHL, EA SPORTS. "The EA SPORTS NHL Franchise has had a rich tradition of outstanding cover athletes and quality games, and we feel privileged to introduce Claude Giroux as the face of NHL 13 as selected by the fans. With Giroux on the cover and our revolutionary new True Performance Skating engine, we feel great about delivering our most innovative title yet with NHL 13."

"The EA SPORTS NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign presented by BlackBerry was a success in every measurable way," said Dave McCarthy, NHL Vice President of Consumer Products Marketing. "From nearly 26 million votes cast, to fan and player engagement across social media platforms, to the validation of NHL.com's standing as the number one destination for hockey fans, the NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign exceeded our expectations."

"Congratulations to Claude on being chosen by the fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 13 cover athlete," said Adam Larry, NHLPA Director of Licensing and Associate Counsel. "We cannot say enough about the amazing job done by all those involved with the EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign. The terrific support that all 60 participating NHL players received from not only fans and gamers, but also other NHL players, the teams, teammates, friends and Twitter followers, drove the success of the campaign in its first year."

The NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign gave fans the opportunity to select the face of the EA SPORTS NHL franchise as they were able to vote for their favorite candidate at http://www.nhl.com/covervote.



To watch a recap of the NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign, click here.



The campaign was embraced by NHL fans, teams and players who utilized social media platforms to campaign. Outstanding examples of team and player engagement during the cover vote final include:

- Claude Giroux: From the First Shift...

- Pekka Rinne: The Most Interesting Goalie in the League

NHL 13 Delivers Major Innovations that will "Change the Way You Play the Game."

EA SPORTS NHL 13 promises the biggest change to the franchise since the introduction of the Skill Stick in NHL 07. Headlined by all-new True Performance Skating, and supported by an innovative new A.I. system dubbed EA SPORTS Hockey I.Q., NHL 13 will deliver a revamped gameplay experience that accurately captures the speed, creativity and strategy of NHL hockey.

"Every Stride Matters," the latest trailer for NHL 13 can be viewed here.

In addition, NHL 13 will also deliver new experiences that connect hockey fans to their friends and the real world of hockey with the all-new GM Connected and NHL Moments Live modes.

NHL 13 is available for pre-order now, click here for more details.