A superstar for Team Canada, Sarah Nurse has gone on to become one of the biggest names in women’s hockey.
After amassing a record 18 points at the Winter Olympics last February, she’s making history again – on the cover of NHL 23, as the first woman to appear on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL video game franchise.
EA Sports announced in a tweet on Wednesday that Nurse will be starring alongside Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras on the cover of the latest installment of the popular game series.
“We have our first wife on the cover, which is a real honor,” Nurse told TSN. “Women are in this game. Now little girls can dream of being in an NHL video game and becoming a professional hockey player.”
The Hamilton, Ontario forward was on vacation with her teammates celebrating Olympic gold when she got the call.
She never imagined that one day she could be the face of the mega-popular video game franchise.
“At 27, I imposed these self-limiting beliefs on myself that I didn’t think I could do this,” she said. “Now little girls will smash this.”
The NHL video game series began in 1991 and has released a new game every year since then. Which professional hockey player will be featured on the cover of the video game each year is usually a source of great speculation among fans.
The last game of the series, NHL 22, was the first to include women’s national teams in the selection of teams that players could pick.
“The fact that you can play as a woman on a women’s team is absolutely amazing,” said Nurse.
Male-dominated sports like hockey have long lacked representation, whether on the ice or in video games.
TSN’s Digital Sports Center host Marissa Roberto says Nurse is breaking down barriers.
“She embodies the sport itself, but also what it’s like for a woman and a woman of color to play in this space right now,” Roberto told CTV National News. “There has to be more of it and the only way it can happen is when other girls see it’s possible.”
Nurse said she hopes the opportunity to see themselves in this video game means girls will consider hockey and “believe they can be in this game.”
But for now, Nurse is only focused on games in Denmark, where she and Team Canada are beginning a quest to remain gold at the Women’s World Cup.
They hit the ice to play against Finland on Thursday.