EA is usually stingy in giving increases to elite players. In NHL 26, McDavid had a 97 rating, while teammate Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov all had 95 overall ratings. That’s a rise of four overall from his score in NHL 24, where he sat with a 95 rating.

However, astute observers have noted that McDavid is not the first hockey player to be rated 99 overall. The landmark NHL 94 game gave a 99 overall rating to defenceman Ray Bourque, and a 100 overall rating for Mario Lemieux.

No other player ratings have been announced yet for NHL 27, which is set for release in early September. San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini will grace the cover. McDavid hasn’t been on the cover since NHL 18.

In his illustrious career, McDavid has scored 409 goals and 811 assists for 1,220 points in 794 games across 11 seasons.

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