June 22^nd, 2006 (7:44pm) - Washington Capitals rookie Alexander Ovechkin has signed with Electronic Arts to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA SPORTS branded NHL 07 game.

Drafted first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Ovechkin lived up to his potential and put forth the third most prolific rookie campaign in NHL history. Exceeding his freshman status, Ovechkin made his presence known by finishing the season third overall in the League for points (106), tied for third in goals (52), and first in shots (425).

Ovechkin exploded onto the scene in the 2005-06 season, playing with a level of intensity, passion, and talent that is causing many to label him the new face of the NHL. At the age of 20, he has already won the Valery Kharlamov Trophy as the best Russian player in the NHL and is a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for outstanding rookie. More telling of his reputation around the League is his nomination for the Lester B. Pearson Award, an honor bestowed upon the outstanding player as voted by his peers in the NHL Players’ Association.

NHL 07 will ship throughout Canada and the United States in September 2006 for the PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox and PC.

For more information, log onto www.nhl07.com. Media can find screenshots from the game at http://info.ea.com.