June 16, 2009
2K Sports Signs NHL Superstar
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as Cover Athlete for NHL 2K10
“Ovi” and friends hold 2K Sports’
first-ever outdoor motion capture session tonight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
2K Sports announced today that Alex
Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, the 2009 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Award
winner and Hart Memorial Trophy candidate, will be featured as the cover athlete
and spokesman for the next iteration of the popular NHL 2K franchise, NHL® 2K10.
While leading the National Hockey League (NHL) in goals scored for the second
consecutive season, Ovechkin has become one of the most recognizable faces of
the NHL in only his fourth season, and will bring his electrifying personality
and unmatched passion for the game to NHL 2K10 this year.
"It’s a good time to be Ovi!," said
Ovechkin, left winger for the Washington Capitals. "It’s an incredible honor,
and I look forward to working with 2K Sports to make NHL 2K10 the most fun and
amazing hockey video game experience ever. I can’t wait to put some of my moves
in there."
In celebration of the announcement,
Ovechkin will be participating in 2K Sports’ first-ever outdoor hockey motion
capture session tonight in the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from
8:30-11:30pm PT. The open-air rink recalls the September 27, 1991, LA Kings vs.
New York Rangers hockey showdown when Wayne Gretzky led the Kings to victory in
a similarly unusual and picturesque open-air setting at the famed Las Vegas
resort. Joining Ovechkin on the ice will be Vancouver Canucks center and 2009
Selke Trophy finalist, Ryan Kesler, along with play-by-play commentator for the
San Jose Sharks, Randy Hahn, who will act as host MC. Only media will be allowed
into the rink area for this private event, as synthetic ice will be laid down to
create a special hockey rink and 2K Sports’ game producers will put Ovechkin
through a number of dynamic drills to capture his signature style data for NHL
2K10.
The 2009 NHL Awards™ will take place
on Thursday in Las Vegas, and Ovechkin is one of three finalists that are being
considered for the highly coveted Hart Memorial Trophy, an annual award given to
the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected
via a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association in all NHL cities
held at the end of the regular season. Ovechkin is also a finalist for the
Lester B. Pearson Award, which honors the NHL’s most outstanding player as
selected by the members of the NHL Players’ Association. Ovechkin was the winner
of both awards last year, and has already received this year’s Maurice “Rocket”
Richard Award for leading the NHL in goals scored during the regular season.
Ovechkin, also known to fans as “Ovi”,
was the first overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and is one of the
most heart-pumping players to watch in the NHL today. After winning the Calder
Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year in 2005-06, Ovechkin went on to lead the
NHL during the 2007–08 season with 65 goals and 112 points to capture the
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Award and Art Ross Trophy. That season, he also won the
Lester B. Pearson Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy. He is the first player to
win all four awards in the same season, and has participated in the NHL All-Star
game in 2007, 2008, and 2009. This past season, Ovechkin led the NHL again with
56 goals, winning his second Maurice “Rocket” Richard Award in as many years,
joining Jarome Iginla and Pavel Bure as only the third player to win the award
twice, and the second player after Bure (2000–2001) to win the award in
back-to-back seasons.
Developed by Visual Concepts, NHL®
2K10 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available this fall for Wii™
system from Nintendo, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation®2
computer entertainment system. For more information, please visit
www.2ksports.com/games/nhl2k10.
