Electronic Arts announced today that Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal will be the cover athlete and spokesman for NHL 08. At the age of 23 with just 4 NHL seasons under his belt, this promising young player has scored a combined 75 goals over the past 2 seasons, notched 100 points in 2006, and was voted into his first All-Star game in 2007. Already a core member of the Hurricanes, Staal led the team in points (28) during their successful 2006 Stanley Cup Playoff run that resulted in a Championship. Aside from his exceptional talent on the ice, Staal is also known as an avid gamer. NHL 08 is being developed under the EA SPORTS by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. The game will be available for the PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and PC.