EA Sports yesterday announced Bruins C Patrice Bergeron has been voted by fans to be the EA Sports "NHL 15" cover athlete. Bergeron topped Canadiens D P.K. Subban following more than 10 million votes (EA Sports). In Boston, Matt Pepin notes Bergeron beat Sharks C Logan Couture and Blues RW T.J. Oshie in the earlier rounds. Subban prevailed over Maple Leafs RW Phil Kessel and Kings D Drew Doughty (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/25). QMI AGENCY's Steve Tilley noted the Bruins organization "rallied fans to vote" for Bergeron through the team’s web site, Facebook page and Twitter account, including "a contest giving away free copies of the game -- but only if Bergeron ended up on the cover." Bergeron said, "I grew up playing the game and loving the game, hockey was definitely my passion and I wanted to one day be playing in the NHL. But I never thought in a million years that I’d one day be on the cover of the same game I used to play." Tilley notes on the new generation of consoles, the game will "boast advanced puck physics and refined player animations, making it the most realistic hockey video game to date" (QMI AGENCY, 6/24).
MAN ABOUT TOWN: Bergeron last night at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas received the '13-14 NHL Foundation Player Award, which recognizes an NHLer who applies the core values of hockey -- commitment, perseverance and teamwork -- to enrich the lives of people in his community. The NHL Foundation presents $25,000 to the winner's chosen charitable organization. Bergeron selected the Boston Bruins Foundation (NHL).
