Dear Abbey: Who Is the Real Face of the NHL?

Welcome to another edition of Dear Abbey. I don't give life advice like the real Dear Abby, but I do talk about hockey.

Auston Matthews was revealed as the cover star for EA Sports' NHL 22. It was the second time in three years the Toronto Maple Leafs' center was chosen as the cover star for the video game. Much like every decision in the internet era, there was much debate about the choice.

Does being put on the cover of a video game make one the face of the league? It is essentially the official video game of the NHL, so the cover star, whose face is plastered all over the various electronics stores of North America and beyond, might be considered the face of the league.

But what about the old guard? What about the players who were winning Stanley Cups before Matthews was even in the league?

The NHL has historically promoted the most popular teams, especially the Original Six teams, instead of the most popular personalities. Sometimes teams become popular because they win and sometimes it's because they have stars. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a popular team in the NHL because of great players like Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Chicago Blackhawks had a dynasty from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s, despite their relatively quiet captain, Jonathan Toews.

This is par for the course in hockey. When Lou Lamoriello assembled a dynasty in New Jersey, it was with the philosophy that you play for the name on the front of the jersey instead of the name on the back. There's nothing wrong with that, but in the age of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, you need a little sizzle. You need stars and their personalities to shine to be able to attract newer, younger fans and make sure the ones you do have remain supporters.

People like to feel they're part of something special, and when the personalities shine on and off the ice, it becomes natural for fans to gravitate toward them.

We asked members of the B/R community to tell us who they think the real face of hockey is heading into the 2021-22 season. The results were not shocking. Readers consistently named some of the most popular players in hockey. There were a few surprises, but there was one overwhelming winner.

Let's discuss.

Reader @Rob_Lewan didn't mention goalie Marc-Andre Fleury by name, but he did drop a pretty good GIF of the goalie riding a scooter into the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose. Much appreciated. 

This is an interesting one. Goalies are rarely even the most popular players on their own teams, possibly because the mask and gear obscures their faces leaving them relatively unknown to their fans.

But there have always been a select few who have enjoyed a ton of notoriety, like Hall of Fame former New Jersey Devils backstop Martin Brodeur and future Hall of Fame former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Brodeur was a crossover star, doing commercials for firms such as Enterprise Rent-a-Car, while Lundqvist was one of the most popular athletes in New York City, even during an era when he had to compete with Derek Jeter and Eli Manning. 

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, is arguably one of the most well-known goalies in the game today. The veteran played in three straight Stanley Cup Finals from 2016-2018 with the Penguins, and he'll have no shortage of media and marketing opportunities playing in Chicago next season. 

Is he the face of goaltending in today's NHL? The case can be made for Andrei Vasilevskiy, who backstopped the Lightning to two straight Stanley Cups, but the 2021 Conn Smythe Award winner has kept a lower profile out in Tampa Bay. Many players like playing in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California for the weather and the ability to stay relatively anonymous. 

Can a goalie be the central figure and the biggest star in the NHL? It's a fascinating debate, especially as some of the more popular goalies such as Carey Price, Tuukka Rask and Fleury himself face questions about retirement. 

For what it's worth, Fleury has the sixth-highest selling jersey in the NHL, so there is a case for him to claim the title.

Not one but three...MacKinnon, McDavid, Ovi (@msullivan1221)

MacKinnon (@bchoub)

Denver is one of the best sports cities in North America, and the Colorado Avalanche is one of the best teams in the NHL. The Rockies are bad and only about to get worse, and the Broncos probably won't unseat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West anytime soon, so this winter will be about the Nuggets and the Avs. 

This is a big season for Colorado. The Avs are a heavy preseason favorite to wrest the Stanley Cup from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and MacKinnon, the 26-year-old center, is a Hart Trophy favorite. 

And he's playing with a chip on his shoulder after another early exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year. The Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Presidents' Trophy winners in the second round, and MacKinnon made his frustration known, saying he's tired of hearing about next year.

"It's all we talk about, I feel like. I mean, I'm going on my ninth year next year and haven't won s--t," he said in his postgame Zoom press conference after Colorado was beaten by Vegas. 

It's not like MacKinnon needs to win a Stanley Cup to move into the category as one of the "faces" of the NHL. Matthews and the Maple Leafs haven't even made it past the first round, but he's still landing video game covers.

However, Denver isn't the largest hockey market. It's a great hockey town and the support for the UD Pioneers proves that, but in terms of popularity, it's often overshadowed by other Western Conference teams like the Golden Knights, who benefited from an increased profile after their 2018 Stanley Cup Final appearance.

It would help raise the profile of the Avs if they made it further than the second round, and by extension, MacKinnon's profile as well.

But MacKinnon is a perennial Hart Trophy candidate and should the NHL return to the Olympics, he has a chance to be a gold medal winner as well. Maybe he isn't the face of the game, but he's among them and maybe even on his way to taking the title, especially considering he has the second-highest selling jersey in NHL.com's official shop.

The NHL has fought an uphill battle marketing their product and their players since that 04-05 lockout. It (will be) McDavid, but right now, it's still Ovi and Crosby (@TheWolfofBroadSt)

The age-old debate of Sid vs. Ovi is still being waged in NHL circles. How can you even fairly compare the two? One is a winger and the most prolific scorer of a generation, the other is a smooth-skating, two-way center. Crosby and Ovechkin play very different games, but Google "Sid vs. Ovi" and you'll find no shortage of headlines comparing and contrasting their legacies. 

Crosby has the top-selling jersey on NHL.com. He's a name even the most casual sports fans would recognize. There are the numerous accolades, like his two Hart Trophies, his two Rocket Richard Trophies, his two Art Ross Trophies and his two Conn Smythes to go along with three Stanley Cups. And there are the remarkable stats, like his 1,325 points in 1,039 games. Only five other players scored more than him in their first 1,000 games (Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Jaromir Jagr and Jari Kurri). 

When you're hearing his name every night on TV, you start to pay attention. 

He caught the NHL by storm at a young age and deftly managed the immense expectations placed on him. The great ones always do, but that doesn't mean it's easy. 

Now 34 years old, we probably can't call him Sid the Kid anymore, but we can still call him one of the faces of the game.

Ovechkin sealed his legacy as one of the greatest of all time when he helped the Washington Capitals win a Stanley Cup in 2018. Cup wins and Cup Final appearances are an important part of the historical perspective of players. But Ovi was already one of the more marketable players before he threw some of the most legendary parties the nation's capital has ever seen. 

The gregarious Russian might end up catching Gretzky's record for the most goals ever scored. Ovechkin has 164 to go until he ties Gretzky's mark of 894, and even at 35 years old he hasn't shown many signs of slowing down. He's still probably good for 40 to 50 per season, making his living in the circle on the power play. 

His jersey is still selling too: It's currently No. 3 behind MacKinnon.

He's the NHL's active scoring leader too, and any player who can make a claim like that is going to get consideration as the face of the league until his production drastically slows or until he retires. As long as Ovechkin and Crosby are in the league, they will be recognized for their contributions to the game and their presences will be felt. 

Matthews on the cover of (NHL video games) two times in three years, gotta be the face of the league (@BT65)

The kid from the desert became a cover boy in the hockey capital of the world. The Maple Leafs' star won the Rocket Richard Trophy this season with a remarkable 41 goals in only 52 games. The 23-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, has never been afraid to blaze his own trail. Instead of playing college hockey or in major-junior, he played his draft year in Switzerland. 

The top overall pick in 2016 has become known for his fashion sense and even landed a GQ spread in 2018. Matthews also potentially appeals to a Latin American audience, as his mother, Ema, is from Hermosillo, Mexico. 

And yes, he's also known for his disorderly conduct charge in 2019, which he received after he and a group of friends allegedly tried to break into the car of a female security guard before Matthews dropped his pants and grabbed his buttocks. Matthews apologized for his actions, and the charges were later dismissed.

Matthews has received Lady Byng votes all five years he's been in the league and was a finalist for the award in 2020, which caused some controversy among voters and fans alike. 

Matthews has all of the makings of a crossover star. The league has historically struggled to market its personalities, but Matthews might help change that and move the needle in the right direction.

But in order for him and the NHL to truly maximize his marketability then he'll need to show better judgment off the ice. 

The other question is, does he want to be a star? He's never been the most vocal, flashy player. Matthews might be more of a Mike Trout type of star, content to let his playing do the talking. If Matthews wants it, crossover stardom is there for the taking, which could mean more video game covers, more magazine spreads and maybe even rental car commercials like the ones Marty Brodeur starred in for years. 

It's Connor McDavid (@mathl20)

The overwhelming answer from community members was Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, who might be the ultimate Trout comparison. He's quiet and stoic and we don't know much about him off the ice—except that he has a dog that helped him with some quarantine workouts—but on the ice he might be the best player in the world. 

What does that say about hockey? Is the Lamoriello way still the prevailing notion? Is superstardom less about personality and flash and more about points and goals? 

McDavid often comes off as careful and guarded in interviews. As media members, we're often looking for good stories. We try to understand the person behind the player, we like finding out what drives them, how they became leaders on and off the ice and what makes them effective leaders. 

We also like dog photos on Instagram. Who doesn't? Based on the interactions on they receive, it's clear the fans do too. Fans love finding out they have things in common with their favorite athletes because it makes them feel a certain kinship. 

Stars! They're just like us, right?

But maybe some of that stuff doesn't matter to fans as much as all-world play, slick passing, hard hits and game-winning goals. McDavid delivers all of those as a two-time Hart Trophy winner. There is room in the game for big personalities, big stories and big goals.

McDavid is quietly writing his own story as the face of the game.