The realism of sports video games gets better each and every year. With improved animations, player likenesses, and ratings based on real-world performance, these games are always taking it to a new level. They also allow for some decent simulations of who might win the championship in each sport. Unfortunately, when it comes to the EA Sports NHL franchise they may have cursed their predicted winners.
EA Sports’ NHL Stanley Cup Curse
You may have heard of the infamous Madden curse, which many sports fans believe doesn’t truly exist. That’s where the cover athlete on the latest edition of the Madden football game is cursed to have impending doom in their next season. The good news for the new cover athlete Patrick Mahomes is this didn’t happen to Madden 19’s cover star Antonio Brown.
However, a tweet from EA Sports’ NHL 19 on Monday (Apr. 29) sheds light on their own curse that’s in effect. Since 2014, their NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs simulation has failed to pick the winning team. Not just once, but each and every year since then. It started in 2014 with the Bruins getting cursed and the Kings taking the Cup. In 2015, the Blackhawks won it after EA cursed the Ducks. The next two years belonged to Pittsburgh and EA was nowhere near them on the prediction.
It also includes 2019. Sorry, Steven Stamkos and Tampa Bay Lightning. You may have owned the NHL’s best record, but thanks to the NHL 19 simulation, you were predicted to win. That means you lose in the real NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Maybe next season the simulation will predict another team and relieve you all of “the curse.”
That leaves the door open for another NHL Stanley Cup champion besides the one EA’s game predicted. Right now, the Vegas odds favor the Boston Bruins at 4/2 to win it all. The Carolina Hurricanes (9/2), San Jose Sharks (5/1), and Colorado Avalanche (11/2) all have a shot. Then again, all of the remaining teams do, now that EA’s NHL sim eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Get more of the latest NHL 19 news and insight at VGR.