NHL 20 Alumni Teams Revealed: Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques Among Classic Teams in Game
An exciting announcement has arrived for EA’s popular lineup of hockey simulation games. There will be NHL 20 Alumni teams consisting of all-star or historic players on the rosters. Among the teams said to be making their way into the game will be former franchises such as the Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques.
Who are the NHL 20 Alumni Teams?
We’ve recently seen NHL 20 player ratings revealed up to the top 10. That’s for the current NHL, though. On Friday, EA Sports revealed on their NHL Twitter feed that there will be a total of 33 playable NHL 20 Alumni Teams. The Nordiques and Whalers are two of the featured teams that no longer exist in the NHL, but were quite popular in their day and time. There’s also the Minnesota North Stars, who ultimately moved to Dallas where they exist today.
Here’s a look at all 33 of the featured teams as revealed by EA:
#NHL20 will feature 33 playable Alumni Teams comprised of some of the best players in each teams history! Including former franchises like the Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota North Stars and Hartford Whalers! pic.twitter.com/XLFbhfUAqO
— #NHL20 (@EASPORTSNHL) August 30, 2019
The Hartford Whalers existed from 1979 until 1997 as the major professional sports club in Connecticut. Their final game in Hartford was against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 13, 1997. A month later, it was announced the Whalers would move to Raleigh, North Carolina and become the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina still exists in the league today.
As for the Quebec Nordiques, they were around for just 16 years, lasting from 1979 until 1995. They ultimately moved to Denver and the franchise is now known as the present Colorado Avalanche team. Ironically, the Whalers and Nordiques met in the 1986 NHL Playoffs. Hartford came out on top with their only playoff series win.
The Avalanche have achieved two Stanley Cups since the move, with their first coming in 1995-96 and the second in the 2000-01 season.
Who is on the team rosters in the game?
As far as the NHL 20 Alumni Teams go, there have yet to be any roster reveals. However, EA has revealed a few players from several of the teams including those Quebec Nordiques. They’ll include Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, and Peter Statsny, amongst other important players for their team over the years.
The Quebec Nordiques are back in #NHL20! Play as Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Peter Stastny and many more! pic.twitter.com/CJau2sHUXz
— #NHL20 (@EASPORTSNHL) August 30, 2019
The Chicago Blackhawks are among the original six teams in the NHL and still exist today. They’ve got a rich history in the league including recent championships over the past decade. For their NHL 20 Alumni Team, EA revealed several major stars from team history including Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, and the legendary Stan Mitka!
The @NHLBlackhawks #NHL20 Alumni Team showcases some all-time greats like Stan Mikita, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios! pic.twitter.com/8THnntN2qg
— #NHL20 (@EASPORTSNHL) August 30, 2019
So far, just those two NHL 20 Alumni Teams have surfaced on EA NHL’s Twitter feed. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they gradually release more of them, or perhaps an Alumni Teams trailer in the coming days. We’re certainly interested in seeing who else makes it onto the 33 rosters including the Hartford Whalers.
The NHL 20 release date is set for September 13, 2019, on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, gamers who pre-order NHL 20 will receive select editions three days earlier to start using all the features.
Get more of the latest news about the NHL 20 game here.