The 2013-14 NHL season begins on Tuesday, but we already know who this season’s Stanley Cup Champion will be: the St. Louis Blues…according to the annual EA Sports simulation, that is. Using a full season simulation of NHL 14, which launched earlier this month for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the folks at EA Sports revealed a thrilling six game Stanley Cup Final between the Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins.
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With new conferences and divisions in place this year, the simulation saw Pittsburgh, Boston, Detroit, the Rangers, Washington, Montreal, Toronto, and the Islanders emerge from the East, while Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Vancouver, San Jose, Minnesota, Dallas, and Edmonton took the Western Conference. The Blues would go on to defeat the Wild, Kings, and Blackhawks on the way to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Other interesting notes from the simulation: Sidney Crosby led the league in points (109), Steven Stamkos in goals (64), Nicklas Backstrom in assists (69), while Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist tied for wins (41).
Did your favorite team fail to make the cut? Fear not! Past EA Sports simulations, while entertaining, have not always proven accurate. The abbreviated 2012-2013 simulation, for example, predicted that Lord Stanley’s Cup would end up in Pittsburgh. We all know how that turned out.
If you can’t wait until Tuesday to get your hockey fix, check out the full simulation report, complete with statistics, at EA Sports.
