Hughes brothers dreamed of being in a game, now they're NHL 25's foundation

"We feel incredibly honored to be on the cover of NHL 25," Vancover Canucks star Quinn Hughes said in an EA press release. "Being featured alongside my brothers is the sort of thing you dream about as a kid but could never imagine in real life."

The NHL's Hughes brothers aren't just in the game. In many ways, they are the game. Their work with the publisher informs ICE-Q, EA's new logic-driven animation system. The brothers are renowned for their skating ability and hockey IQ, so who better to work with?

According to EA, ICE-Q responds to contextual events with unprecedented realism. EA Vancouver's Senior Game Design Director Mike Inglehart thinks longtime players will like what they see this year.

“The new ICE-Q gameplay system represents a foundational shift in how players will experience the game, with its deep intelligence giving them complete control of the ice,” Inglehart said. "Hockey is built different, with NHL 25 delivering greater authenticity, bigger team rivalries and inspired by the sport’s next-generation superstars who continue to redefine the game.”

Vancouver Canucks star Quinn Hughes just won the Norris Trophy. Luke and Jack Hughes both play for the New Jersey Devils. Luke contended for the Calder Trophy, while Jack is an alternate captain. This is the first time three siblings have shared the coveted EA Sports NHL cover. It's the kind of story that movies and video games are made about.

“It was a very proud moment for all of us when we saw the Deluxe cover,” Jack Hughes said. “It reminded us that on the ice, we’re competitors, always learning from each other, but off the ice, we’re brothers who love to play hockey.”

The siblings are on the cover of NHL 25's Deluxe Edition. It includes:

• Seven days of early access,
• 4600 NHL Points,
• HUT NHL Player Pack,
• HUT “Hockey is Family” Objectives Choice Pack (x2, 82 OVR),
• HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack (84 OVR, 1 of 8)
• HUT Wildcard Starter Choice Pack (84 OVR, 1 of 6)
• WOC Battle Pass XP Boost (x2), Exclusive WOC Player Set
• Immediate Reward In NHL 24 (Choice of Jack, Quinn, or Luke Hughes at 99 OVR)

This is probably not the time for an Ultimate Team rant, but I feel compelled to mention that is a huge set of advantages. Anybody not paying for the early access will have a high school team in comparison to people that bought the Deluxe Edition. I almost always get the super hyper fighting Ultimate Team Edition, and those bonuses are as strong as any I've seen.

In any case, NHL 25 releases Oct. 4 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.