The Florida Panthers are your 2022 Digi Stanley Cup champions according to EA Sports.
The company behind the NHL’s video game franchise announced on Monday that the Panthers mauled the Capitals in five games, the Leafs in six games, the Bruins in six games, and the Avalanche in six games en route to its first Stanley Cup. Digi Aleksander Barkov was the Playoff MVP and awarded the Digi Conn Smythe Trophy per NHL.com.
[Gulp]
The Official #NHL22 Sim is here 🔮
Looks like the #StanleyCup will be staying in Florida 🏆
Congrats to your 2022 champs the @FlaPanthers 😼 pic.twitter.com/7SWxfQkqbf
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) May 2, 2022
But wait… Does it matter? Is there significance?
The real-life Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season as the league’s top team and the rich only got richer at the trade deadline, adding superstar Claude Giroux. Video game-wise, this team is like the Eastern Conference All-Stars, with an infallible goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky who has a rating of 85.
If past history is any guide though, the simulation does not play out in real life. The predictions are wrong. Like really really wrong.
Don’t believe me? Please enjoy these Tweets of past posts.
2021 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Colorado Avalanche
The Official #NHL21 Playoff Simulation has spoken 🔮
The Colorado Avalanche will be your 2021 Stanley Cup Champions 🏆
Check out our full breakdown of the 2021 season 👉 https://t.co/zINlF97AH4 pic.twitter.com/lkietzgXK4
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) January 13, 2021
2020 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Edmonton Oilers
The Official #NHL20 Playoff Simulation is in… 🔮
The Edmonton Oilers are your 2020 Stanley Cup Champions!
They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games to win the Stanley Cup! pic.twitter.com/1EDLyfaZif
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 1, 2020
2019 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Tampa Bay Lightning
⚡ Lightning strikes in the #NHL19 playoff simulation. Who do you have taking the #StanleyCup?
See the full sim 👉 https://t.co/NdE5snCycs pic.twitter.com/DgDUvOJ2WX
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) April 10, 2019
2018 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Winnipeg Jets
Les Jets de Winnipeg remportent la Coupe Stanley à la suite de la simulation des séries éliminatoires du jeu NHL18 @EASPORTSNHL #rcmb pic.twitter.com/j23Q91v4KE
— Pierre G. Turgeon (@pgturgeon) April 10, 2018
2017 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Nashville Predators
We predict that the @PredsNHL will win the 2016-17 Stanley Cup!
Full #NHL17 Season Sim: https://t.co/2iwy16fzCh pic.twitter.com/j8RN3POg0W
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) October 6, 2016
.@PKSubban1 celebrates a Stanley Cup victory in Montreal!
Full #NHL17 Season Sim: https://t.co/76K6GGsqha pic.twitter.com/COjkTjMFzU
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) October 6, 2016
2016 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Washington Capitals
Join our #NHLBracket Challenge and try to beat our #NHL16 Playoff Sim! https://t.co/30lhkFzw1u pic.twitter.com/on2yxvFiT1
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) April 13, 2016
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals were picked in 2016 to win it all – and as we all know that did not happen!
So maybe this is actually great news for the Capitals. Congratulations, Digi Panthers. Lift that Digi Cup high!
Photo: @EASportsNHL/Twitter
