CLAUDE GIROUX is a cover boy.
Electronic Arts Inc. and NHL.com announced Wednesday that the Flyers forward has been selected by fans as the EA Sports NHL 13 cover athlete.
Giroux, who had 28 goals and 65 assists for 93 poiunts this past season, beat Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the final of the first-ever EA Sports NHL Cover Vote campaign by less than a 1 percent margin, in what was the closest matchup of the entire campaign.
"The support fans have given me throughout the campaign has been unbelievable," Giroux said. "I am very excited to be on the cover of NHL 13 and I want to thank everyone who campaigned and voted for me — especially my teammates, the Flyers organization, and of course all the NHL fans who voted and tweeted."
NHL 13 will be available on Sept. 11, 2012.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. The Russian superstar and NHL scoring champion won the Hart for the first time at the NHL Awards ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas casino. Malkin also collected the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer and the Ted Lindsay Award from his fellow NHLPA members as the NHL's best player.
"It's the best day of my life," Malkin said. "It's very exciting."
Malkin, who turns 26 next month, won the Hart Trophy over Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos and New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who still won the Vezina Trophy for the first time.
Lundqvist's win in his fourth Vezina nomination topped an impressive list of Swedish winners at the awards ceremony. Ottawa's Erik Karlsson won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie.
Boston forward Patrice Bergeron won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward. Florida's Brian Campbell became the first defenseman since 1954 to win the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play, and Montreal forward Max Pacioretty won the Masterton Trophy for his comeback from serious injury.
St. Louis' Ken Hitchcock won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL's top coach for the first time in his lengthy career, while Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was named the league's top executive.
Malkin won his first MVP award after arguably the most impressive season of his 6-year career in Pittsburgh. Malkin had a career-high 50 goals and 59 assists while carrying the Penguins during the extended injury absence of 2007 Hart winner Sidney Crosby, who played just 22 games.
Malkin was the NHL's only 100-point scorer this season and the first scoring champion in a decade to win a second title.
Malkin then scored eight points in the Penguins' six-game loss to the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. Malkin was a Hart finalist for the third time. He won the vote over Stamkos, who already had wrapped up the Richard Trophy with an NHL-best 60 goals.
Veteran NHL coach Craig Hartsburg is joining the Columbus Blue Jackets as associate coach. Head coach Todd Richards announced the move, noting the former All-Star defenseman has experience at every level of hockey. Hartsburg, 52, has served as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators.
