NHL 20: Auston Matthews Cover, Release Date, Gameplay, Trailer and New Features

Credit: EA Sports

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will grace the cover of NHL 20, as announced during the NHL Awards on Wednesday.

Matthews follows the footsteps of Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, who landed on NHL 19.

The Maple Leafs' fortunes have changed dramatically since the team picked the three-year veteran first overall in the 2016 NHL draft.

Toronto, which had not made the playoffs in 10 of its previous 11 seasons, has now earned a playoff berth in three consecutive years.

Matthews, 21, has scored 111 goals during that span, winning the 2016-17 Calder Memorial Trophy in the process.

NHL 20 will hit stores on September 13 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

NHL 20

Shooting

Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech is changing the game, and fans can further copy their favorite players' styles in NHL 20.

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Of note, Matthews' half toe-drag wrister and Washington Capitals wing Alex Ovechkin's one-timer are among specific shot styles now featured, and that's in addition to hundreds of new shot animations.

Passing

RPM overhauls to passing and puck pick-ups help create faster and more seamless gameplay reminiscent of the NHL.

Goaltending

New goalie artificial intelligence now consists of a "full offensive threat analysis," to quote an EA Sports press release. Now, goalies can "read and react" to each zone entry.

ONES and THREES Eliminator

Players can now take part in a new version of ONES and THREES called "Eliminator."

In ONES, 81 players face off in a survival tournament bracket. In THREES, players and friends must try to win back-to-back rounds against opponents of increasing difficulty.

Broadcast Package

A new broadcast package brings fresh play-by-play and color commentary calls, and that's in addition to new motion graphics, scoreboards and overlays.

Furthermore, a "Play Of The Game" feature "brings memorable plays to life through highlights designed to put top moments on a pedestal for both your teammates and opponents," per EA Sports.

Hockey Ultimate Team and NHL ONES

Players can now play ONES mode "via local multiplayer with class-based NHL stars," per EA Sports, which means a chance to challenge others to one-on-one-on-one battles.

As for Ultimate Team, players can now take part in Squad Battles, where "new opponents are refreshed every day." These include "NHL players, musical artists, hockey influencers and other superstar athletes."

Furthermore, fans can play with a new group of hockey Icons, which now numbers over 400.

CHEL Challenges

The CHEL game mode from NHL 19 continues with CHEL Challenges in NHL 20, defined by EA as "weekly in-game events across all of fan-favorite modes that unlock unique customization rewards, character XP and more."

Furthermore, CHEL now includes 2,000 unique customization items ranging from clothing to equipment. Fans can sport their new looks at four new outdoor locations.