The video game will be released worldwide Sept. 13. Matthews follows Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, the NHL '19 cover athlete who helped make the announcement.
"I played it a bit yesterday with P.K. I kicked his butt," Matthews said. "They got some new stuff this year that I think fans of the game are going to enjoy, stuff that hasn't been there in the past, so I think that's going to be pretty amazing."
Matthews, the top pick at the 2016 NHL Draft, has scored 30-plus goals in each of his first three seasons and had a career-high 73 points in 68 games in 2018-19. He helped the Maple Leafs reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season.
He said he was approached to appear on the cover during the season and couldn't say no.
"I think it's kind of a no-brainer," he said.
Matthews grew up playing the game and is still an avid gamer.
"I've always played video games. I still play video games; I still play NHL," Matthews said. "I have a lot of great memories."
NHL.com Staff Writer Cristina Ledra contributed to this report.