Scott Hartnell has an uphill battle ahead of him, and I’m not talking about the Philadelphia Flyers’ upcoming playoff run. The voting has begun for the EA Sports NHL 13 cover and round one pits two players on each team against each other. In the case of the Philadelphia Flyers that’s the team’s points leader, Claude Giroux, and Hartnell.
Both players have taken to Twitter to appeal for votes, but it’s fair to say that Hartnell has campaigned more aggressively so far. Hartnell also suggested that if he’s on the cover, it would be the first time that featured player is shown lying on the ice.
Hartnell is certainly the underdog in this fight, although his contributions for the Philadelphia Flyers this season shouldn’t be understated. It’s rare to see a player that does as much offensively while also displaying a willingness to throw his body around and get into fights. Of those who have at least 60 points this season, only Alex Ovechkin has recorded more hits and no one has accumulated more penalty minutes.