andPOP » NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Matt Lashoff Releases Album

Christian Allaire — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:43:02 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

NHL defenseman Matt Lashoff of the Toronto Maple Leafs is released an album, reports ChartAttack.

Lashoff will be releasing a full-length album called ‘Living On Heart,’ and you can hear clips of songs at his website.

Yahoo! Sports’ Puck Daddy has described the record as “one female midget with a ukulele away from being the most random assortment of musicians ever assembled this side of Gogol Bordello.” Basically, he’s saying it sounds all over the place, not sticking to one specific music genre.

“Most people know my day job as a hockey player, which I have more love and passion for than I can explain,” Lashoff wrote on his website. “It has given me many unbelievable experiences and has introduced me to some of the best people I know. Playing hockey has given me the opportunity to accomplish another one of my dreams since I was a child and that was to record an album. ”

“I recently found a piece of paper from when I was 10 with a list of my goals. The first as many of you could guess is to make the NHL. Within that list of around 5 things, was to record an album.”

“It makes me so proud to be able to have everyone finally listen to music, which I have written, and put my heart and soul into since I started writing songs and playing hockey. Playing guitar, and music in general, has been such a great release for me from the enduring hockey season.”

This is so random, but if he’s actually talented then it can be a pleasant surprise. I guess it’s good to diversify yourself. NHL’er Sean Avery interned at ‘Vogue,’ so why can’t Lashoff write an album?

Carrie Underwood Marries NHL Player Mike Fisher

andPOP Staff — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:19:54 +0000

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Country star Carrie Underwood married NHL player Mike Fisher last night at a Southern luxury resort.

People reports their wedding planner called the ceremony “a spiritual expression of their love” – a special moment for a “very special couple.” 250 friends and family were apparently in attendance.

“We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!” the newlyweds told PEOPLE in a statement, signing their names “Mike & Carrie Fisher.”

Cabbie Richards: The Man Without Fear In The Press Room

Jeremy Singer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:16:16 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Exhibit A: a hefty roly-polly fellow in baggy jeans and a t-shirt, a fitted cap flipped backwards, a microphone in hand and a childish 1000 watt smile.

This is the uniform for one of Canada’s leading sports personalities. Hard to believe?

Meet Cabral “Cabbie” Richards, The Score Network’s animated icon, who has sent a loud message out to the media industry: traditional reporting isn’t always successful, and that his new-school style of interviewing can trump those old-school classroom methods.

In his interviews with star athletes on The Score’s Cabbie on the Street, it’s always a challenge to pint-point exactly the recipe for his success. But narrowing it down, there’s one key ingredient that differentiates the 31-year-old from Cambridge, Ontario, from the rest.

Exhibit B: his swagger.

Case in show, his interview with NBA commissioner David Stern at his press conference:

Surrounded by layers of thirsty sports reporters ready to lunge at Stern with questions relating to the league’s recent referee scandal or the pressing collective bargaining agreement in 2011, Richards scoots in and playfully asks the ‘el capitano’ of the organization… if he wins his bets in his fantasy basketball pools because of his knowledge of the players in the league.

Staying away from the typical post game interviews, Richards says he enjoys the guerrilla-style approach- keeping the scene light, animated, unpredicted, and delivering pure sports entertainment.

“I think the traditional forms of reporting are boring, and I think that most people would kind of follow that standard,” Richards tells andPOP. “When people come home, they just want to watch TV, be entertained and relaxed. I like to entertain and show humorous sides.”

His swagger can be described as his ability to go up casually to the best of the best, and put them on the spot with such simple and entertaining questions.

Part of his past repertoire includes Richards asking players at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game if they would agree to be his best man at his ‘fictional’ wedding. Or telling Wayne Gretzky that he’s about to launch a fake campaign to get Gretzky’s face on the currency in Canada- and asking the NHL legend whether he would rather the 50 or 100 dollar bill.

But that ability to confidently amuse didn’t just hit him suddenly one day on the job.

In fact, it goes way back before his days as an intern at The Score, or as a student at Ryerson University’s Radio & Television program. Technically, it all started back at Galt Collegiate Institute. Richards landed the lead role in the school play as the man eating plant in the “Little Shop Of Horrors”- which then sparked his career as a drama junkie.

That was the first time ever Cabral Richards worked an audience.

“Ever since then, I’ve always had a desire to make people laugh,” says Richards. “I love to entertain, so I guess it’s not a surprise that I was the class clown in school.”

And learning the face of rejection as an intern at The Score also helped. Originally assigned as a script writer, Richards was then offered to do five minute segments of interviews with the general public. It was just him and a camera crew in the middle of downtown Toronto, pestering total strangers about the topic of the day.

That was the authentic “Cabbie on the Street.”

“I wasn’t the entertaining guy right off the bat,” recalls Richards as we chat in a taxi, heading back to his office. “I was pretty quiet, but I got experience and began getting more comfortable. You have to remember that in the beginning, it was all just approaching random people on the street to interview, so I got used to getting shutdown multiple times. But I’ve learned to brush it off immediately and keep pushing.

“I take all the rough first times, and use it as not only experience but also confidence and I build on it.”

But after he got promoted to interviewing star athletes, Richards says he truly felt like he was validated in the business following his interview with MLB star pitcher Pedro Martinez. “We were competing with each other over who could throw the hardest with their weak hand. I threw 30 miles/hour, he threw 60,” Richards says laughing. “Everything just seemed to click at that point.”

Watching Richards work now definitely has you questioning your 20/20 vision. In fact, you might be inclined to double check if you really saw, what you just saw. He strips away all ice-breaker tension, no matter how high-status or stubborn the person is, and leaves viewers in total disbelief.

For example, how do you muster up the mentality to go up to legendary Hip/Hop rapper Jay-Z at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, and ask the basketball fanatic if he hopes to somehow get some playing-time in today’s event?

Or present Michael Jordan at his charity golf tournament with a “thank you for being amazing” card- followed by a bear hug.

The knack of improvising and constantly allowing himself to be the butt of the joke may be part of it, but Richards says there’s definitely some hidden techniques behind his behavior.

“I always try to make people laugh,” says Richards. “The first time I meet these people, I definitely get a little nervous, but once I get through the initial smile, I’m way more comfortable. I guess the main goal is to make sure that those guys enjoy themselves and keep it entertaining.”

The most recent example of that success is his nice reel of jokes with Los Angeles Lakers global basketball star Kobe Bryant.

“He’s different,” says Bryant in the Globe and Mail in regard to Richards. “We play off one another; we have fun. It’s a break from the ordinary. He’s funny as hell. I look forward to him visiting in LA or when I come here. It’s always fun.”

As the taxi comes to a halt in front of The Score building, Richards gets out and hospitably nods me to follow. We walk briskly to the entrance, and enthusiastically, I scurry onto the sidewalk to keep up the pace. Carrying a camera-supply bag along-side is his producer and long time friend, Dave Krikst. Krikst has been working side-by-side with Richards since he began his days producing at the Score in 2005. One brainstorms the ideas, the other delivers. Together they remain to be an impressive duo. But Krikst keeps the answer simple when asked about Richards’s success in interviews.

“We call it going into this little head space,” says Krikst. “He just zones out and goes to work. If a guy like him can present those ideas the way he does it, it works out really well, he’s amazing at it. He’s always funny, loud. Of all my friends, he’s the most loyal.”

When Richards walks into the office, he takes over the place like Fat Albert meeting the gang at the schoolyard playground. Immediately, he’s going room-to-room, cubicle-to-cubicle, making sure to slap a high-five and a compliment to employees no matter their position in the company. The guy is like the Bees-Kneez. He does it with today’s most premiere athletes on-screen; and also with the co-worker in the stiff suit, buried in stress at his desk, off-screen.

But despite his success, Richards still thinks that he’s just a regular-joe, hard at work. “You gotta realize that there’s a lot of other people that are funnier and better out there,” admits Richards. “So knowing that, I just always strive to work that much harder and keep my job.”

“Gotta get my ‘Kevin Garnett’ on,” he says with a grin, in reference to the NBA’s hustle and hard-working former defensive player of the year.

True, but hundreds of other sports reporters across North America are hard at work too. So what separates Richards from the rest of the media community?

We’re going to keep it simple. Let’s leave it as his swagger. That’s it.

Game Review: NHL 2K10

sarge-ak47 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:49:52 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

The Play offs have started.

The last hockey game I bought for full price was Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey for the N64, since then I haven’t really fallen in love with any new hockey games. Sure, I’ve played my share but nothing has captured the frenzy of the old hockey games and has left me wondering if maybe my expectations are a bit too high. No, I haven’t been under a rock or anything, I’ve played and kept up to date on the newer NHL games but nothing has really stood out enough for me to merit a purchase.

When talks were brewing about NHL 2K10 utilizing the Wii Motion Plus accessory I was really excited to see how evolutionary this title might turn out to be. This excitement was due to the fact that the last sports title I played that utilized the Motion Plus was the excellent Tiger Woods 10. In the end it’s the actual utilization of this little gizmo that will either make or break this title.

So does NHL 2k10 have what it takes?

Gameplay
I’m rather glad that we have this healthy competition going for NHL games. When two or more developers take on a sport you really get to see the creativity come out in each iteration. Where I would call the “other developer” one that goes to fine tuning the gameplay experience, I will give 2K the edge in providing sheer value. Bonus points for 2K for being first to bring hockey to the Wii. What clearly separates the 2K series in the end is its pick up and play arcade-like feel, where as I find the other hockey game out there has become more of a hockey simulator. Now don’t get me wrong, if you feel that the sim approach is what you love then you can certainly replicate that here. One of the features is the ability to tweak every aspect of the game (the 2k sliders) which makes the 2K10 a more robust offering.

Score!!!

In terms of modes you have your normal assortments- starting with season mode, franchise, mini rink, play offs, online, and pond hockey. With the option of having a no hassle quick match online or off, things are kept simple for those of us who might be overwhelmed with the options. There is even a mode to have your Mii become a seasoned hockey player. The actual bevy of play modes are sure to keep the fans of the sport hooked. The game does a great job of offering an auto sign in option the moment the disc is booted but despite all its intentions I found match making to be a frustrating waiting game almost any time of the day. I suppose the real blame lies in the fact that a large majority of Wii owners are not online nor divulging their attention to other fine games on the platform. Elaborating on the Mii integration the title offers themed motion controlled games that focus on the actual play mechanics of hockey. Modes that showcase goalie skills, shoot outs, passing, and dekeing get their own motion controlled challenge. I hate to call any of these mini games since they are far from a party offering; the reason being most of these motion controls are not as simple to grasp and master as you would want for a mini game. Add in also the fact that really there are just 5 different types of games that don’t beckon multiple replays. I know we all hate mini games as a stand alone concept but I believe almost any sports game on the Wii could benefit from a couple of light party style mini games thrown for variety online or off. Online wise there is nothing better than having a league match where you control just one player. Having ten people play with you is a rare achievement in online hockey. It’s a shame though that the Wii Speak isn’t being bundled with this game since most people online are mute.

What this title lacks in the game play department is a true identity, it begins as an arcady experience that tries to dive into sim territory with somewhat fair motion controls. It’s a decent effort but nothing really revolutionary let alone evolutionary. The real drawback is that the package is almost identical to the other consoles offerings save for the small Mii features and that just won’t do.

The controls require the use of a nunchuck as expected with the alternate option going to the classic controller. New this year is the Wii Motion Plus which technically should offer added precision and take this game to exciting heights.
The key word there was “should” since the application of the Motion Plus peripheral is a mixed bag. Flicking the controller to pass is horrendously inaccurate and trying to poke check and tackle someone by thrusting the controller feels ridiculous. What they did manage to nail is the goalie controls that have you face the Wiimote and nunchuck at each other to stop some speedy shots. Granted it’s not as fast of a reaction time as I would have wanted but does the job well. Taking a shot however feels amazing, the further you draw back the remote the more power you can expect to utilize. It is very subtle but just enough to make you appreciate it.

Another good application is the slight stick control you achieve by holding down on the D-pad and using the Wiimote to move your stick to evade incoming attackers. This creates a type of dekeing that is unrivaled on any console. No longer are you limited to idiotic button presses, now your control of the puck is all in your wrists. These applications are far from excellent but do lay out the framework which should help create a more immersible experience next year. The rest of the controls are fairly well laid out with movement allocated to the control stick while shooting and passing respectively being kept to the A and B buttons; finally turbo and backward skating are assigned to Z and C. With respects to passing and shooting you still have to hold the button down and flick the Wiimote to complete the move, honestly I would recommend you turn on pointer passing for your offline sessions since it feels more like an evolution than the motion controls.

At the end of the day it seems like the game really can be played with the same level of immersion without the Motion Plus however the dekeing controls are just so delightful that you might as well try it for yourself.

Now motion plus enhanced.

For the next iteration they should focus on the soccer control blue print ala the fine Winning Eleven series. There are small elements of that here such as pointer passes but unless they treat this sport for what it is (fast paced strategic game play) these problems may repeat year after year.

I will warn you about the Wii Speak utilization, the peripheral is tied to a 16 digit code so go ahead and invest in it. Chatting during a game is smooth and the Wii Speak channel gives you all that in-game access. You’re never really disconnected at any point during team selection to the moment the puck drops. The best moment seems to be when you’re in an online 10 player league match and then are sent to the box to chat with your rival for fighting. Online hockey deserves voice chat! It’s a shame that the peripheral is tied so strongly to a serial code.

Graphics
Things are kept really simple here which is somewhat sad. I find it amusing where other sports titles go out of there way to push the graphical limits of the console, the only game that truly lacks behind is hockey. I’m not just speaking just of the Wii offering, I’m talking about all the console versions. We have seen football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and countless other sports improve drastically each year but the hockey games just seem to get a better reflection mapping on the ice.

Who has a Wii here and is Online??

The Wii version seems to have horrendous cut out crowds and horrible reflection maps. Players do look like the real life counter parts albeit some stiff facial animation. Moving on the positive side of things the shadow works and player animations are very impressive. In fact all those gripes are forgiven once you see and entire arena in motion. For what it’s worth the animation saves this title from looking truly last gen. Still this is a bare minimum and things need to be stepped up drastically next year.

Sound
The standard array of sound effects you’d hear in any hockey game are here. With decent crowd reactions and fairly well done commentating. I found it impressive that they do a recap at the end of each period, despite sounding a tad bit vague it’s definably an extra effort that is appreciated on the Wii. The sound effects are sharp and well done except for the post ricochet which ends up sounding a bit too loud and fake. Musically the game has a decent selection of tracks that are catchy and mainstream. Nothing like hearing Lupe Fiascos’ Superstar the moment you score the first goal.

There should be a drinking minigame in every hockey game

Replay
The sheer amount of things to do will keep you occupied for some time, with tons of modes designed to test your hockey skills. Obviously creating a well rounded online experience with leader boards insure this is an exceptional offering on the Wii. I only wish there were creative Motion Plus themed mini games designed outside the constructs of the game that were more geared towards a party expierence (I can’t believe I just wrote that). Maybe I just expected a bit too much but a good example was how Tiger Woods 10 handeled these options. It’s just about the quality of the offerings.
Another mention to the spectacular online mode despite its horrendous match making option. If you know 10 people who own a Wii (by now we all know at least 50) get them to buy this game and play as a league, I believe this is the greatest online experience on the Wii since Smash Bros. Brawl.

Verdict
NHL 2K10 is a hockey game without an identity. It dances around the fine line of arcade vs. sim without leaning to any one side. It’s a big deal they broke ground on the Wii with a more than decent effort but things need to improve as far as controls and graphics. The list of options and production values won’t win any awards but do deliver a good hockey game. If you own just a Wii and are a hockey fan then this is a must buy; however if you own any other console you might want to rent and see if the 2K series is right for you. Either way give this game some of your attention.

Gameplay          3/5
Graphics        2.5/5
Sound                  3/5
Replay                 3/5

Game Review: NHL 10

Josh Salem — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:55:27 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

There are two things I have never done. 1) I have never gotten so into a sporting event that I yelled for (or at) a team or player. 2) I have never gotten so into a video game that I jumped up, yelled at the screen, and swore. NHL 10 for the Xbox 360 made me do both, and I have to admit, I liked it.

I’ve never been an emotional gamer, and I’ve never been that much into sports (then again, as a Canadian, I feel there’s a default certain level of national pride we all share with hockey), but when playing as the Toronto Maple leafs and winning 2-1 on game seven against Ottawa for the Stanley Cup and with less than 1 minute left in the third period you can’t help but get a little into it when Ottawa scores the tying goal with seconds left on the clock. Yes, I jumped up, yes my voice got loud and shrill, and yes I did say some things that would make a sailor blush. I think this was the most rewarding aspect of NHL 10, that after 17 past NHL titles, EA still has what it takes to make a casual hockey fan into a raving sports fanatic, and I didn’t see it coming.

Basically what’s new from last year to this beyond some new features such as playing the boards, first person fighting, and last ditch attempts at shots is the focus of the game, which now has a much stronger scope on the intensity and fierceness of playoffs and winning the Stanley cup.

For those new to video games, NHL 10 is a hockey simulator (more so than a game as each year passes) in which you are presented with a myriad of gaming options beyond just playing a game of hockey (oh Blades of Steel, how I miss you). How many game modes you ask? well there’s: Battle for the Cup Now Mode in which you are sent straight to the finals of the playoffs, Playoff Mode where you can take part in any type of post-season play from any of the leagues available (NHL, OHL and more), Season Mode in which you choose a league type customize your season preferences and decide if you want to take part in a fantasy draft with all new full roster control mode. We are also given one of my favourite features, Be A Pro Mode in which you create your own character and control only that player as he is drafted, trained and even sent back to the minors based on your personal performance. I found this mode to be extremely interesting as it seemed to be the most realistic, heck, if you get a penalty you have to sit in the box and watch from the side as you feel shame (Slapshots reference anyone?). Performance Tracker Mode shows off your hockey cards (bonuses and achievements… kind of), stats, and milestones related to your profile career. Tournament mode allows for 8 or 16 teams in a world tournament to see what country is the best, and apparently the Montreal Canadiens Centennial team is the one to beat. Create a Play mode allows you too… well, create a play, Practice mode gives you a minimal tutorial (sure it shows you how to play, but no matter how much I practice, I still suck at the game). Online play mode allows for multiple online variations of the game including league play, My NHL 10 mode allows you to create your own custom player, manage rosters, deal with media via the media hub, and more. My Pro mode allows you to go into the hockey shop and buy new equipment, track your performance, and edit attributes. Finally my favourite mode in the game, Be a GM Mode.

Rock'em Sock'em Hockey!

Now, as you can see, there are ALOT of ways to play NHL 10, and as my favourite is the new Be a GM Mode I guess you can decipher that I’m just not that good at the actual hockey playing. I can hold my own (in rookie mode), but for the life of me I rarely ever score goals. In comparison to other sports GM modes however, I found NHL 10′s to be lacking, aside from making trades with your Blackberries (the higher your rank, the more Blackberries you get to use) and drafting there really isn’t much more else involved, you can increase your employee stats but from what I found in the 5 years of being a GM, it doesn’t really make a difference. The good news though, is that if I become the GM of the Maple Leafs, they will win the Stanley Cup in 2014!

We’re not here to read all about the different modes and what I thought of them though, we’re here for hockey! so lets talk about how it actually plays out. The default controls are intuitive, left stick controls your skates, right controls your stick for easy deking and aiming shots. If it gets a little complicated there are many other control schemes to choose from, my alternative favourite being NHL ’94 mode with the only buttons being B to shoot (or check) and A to pass (or switch players), simple. Now otherwise the only other control schemes I think worth talking about in this review would be the wall play and fighting. Wall play if you have the puck and are near the wall push Y and you brace yourself against the wall so that you may kick the puck to a teammate. Alternatively if you are near someone doing just that, you can force a player onto the walls and steal the puck from them. Now fighting is by far my favourite part of actually playing the hockey game, first person fighting, after the whistle action, instigation, it’s all improved in such a way that you can fight almost whenever you want. When fighting you’re brought into first person mode: left stick moves your body, right stick aims your fists of fury; as well you can tug on your opponent’s jersey, perform upper cuts and if you want to chicken out, you can pull both shoulder buttons and turtle.

Graphically NHL 10 is superior to NHL ’09, but then again, isn’t that always the case? Smooth animations, motion captured skaters, reflections and now especially crowd interactions (banging on the windows, swinging team colours around during playoffs and whatnot). This is EA Sports, the annual NHL title, it’s got to be the best of the best, the most polished out there and as such it has a lot to live up to. I’m here to tell you that it does live up to it’s expectations, amazing realistic graphics and not a single glitch to be found.

Dragon Force just screams hockey anthem, doesn't it?

Music is another story. While NHL 10 has a number of big songs from the likes of Green Day, CKY, and Dragon Force; and they’re all great songs, I found they didn’t really mesh with the game. Especially when playing in non-hockey modes like Be a GM the heavy strong songs just keep playing over and over and while I enjoy the tunes, songs that pump you up for a game, kind of confuse you when negotiating a trade. Grunts and whistles are standard fair but what I feel most players are interested in would be the voice commentary? Is it annoying? Does it repeat often? Luckily the answer to both is no. As Gary Thorne and Bill Clement come back from NHL ’09, NHL 10 has similar banter from great voices in hockey and there are enough specific commentary calls to keep players interested in what they have to say time and time again.

Overall if your a fan of hockey games, you probably already own NHL 10, however, if you’re like me and haven’t really gotten into a hockey title since NHL ’99, this year is as good as any to dive back in due to the many options in terms of difficulty and control. However, I have to warn you, there is quite a steep learning curve for those new to the title, trust me, I’ve been playing for a while now and I still suck (yes, I guess it could be that I just overall suck but… let’s not go there). With a plethora of options, game modes, and online play (I was just invited to an online team for online league play) this title will keep you busy for a long long time… or at least until NHL 11 comes out. Hopefully then the GM mode will expand to something more in depth, more in line with other GM modes like Madden and other GM specific titles.

Gameplay: 5/5

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay Value: 5/5

P.S. I’ve never given a game Editor’s Choice before, congrats EA Sports!

NHL 10 Midnight Launch at Yonge & Dundas Future Shop

Josh Salem — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:14:05 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Where do Toronto Film Fest buffs, WWE RAW fanatics, free concert goers, and Maple Leaf hopefuls converge at 11:59PM on a Monday? Why Future Shop at Yonge and Dundas in down town Toronto for the midnight release of EA Sports’ NHL 10, hosted by Xbox Canada of course!

AndPOP was in tow to witness the launch of what may very well be this year’s best hockey title. In a town that loves their hockey hundreds lined up early, a pick-up street hockey game was going on across the street, and anticipation was high for the clock to strike midnight.

Fans lining up outside Future Shop. Sorry about the poor picture quality.

At the event which took place both in Toronto as well as Vancouver Hockey stars were present to offer photo ops and autographs to fans waiting (Trevor Linden in Vancouver and Wendel Clark & Ian White in Toronto). As well, the Xbox Canada crew gave out t-shirts, lanyards, and one lucky hockey fan even walked away with an Xbox 360 Elite unit! Game stations were available for all to try out the newest NHL title and in my little time spent watching this station, I saw hockey fans, TIFF fans, concert goers, and Wrestling fans go at it complete with smack talk on the side of Yonge street.

NHL 10 producer, Sean Ramjagsingh was available for questions, and to ensure everyone would love the thrill of hockey of course.

While there, I got a chance to speak with the producer of NHL 10 Sean Ramjagsingh who filled me in on a couple of the new features in this year’s title. “This year we really tried to capture the emotion and intensity of NHL hockey, the importance of solid tough guys and really make them important, just like in real life. ” (Yes, I took that as the fighting and hitting are getting major boosts this year around) Sean also discussed the new features such as first person fighting (what I am most excited for), post whistle play, interactive and intense crowds, and the new board play feature, “you can pin guys against the board defensively or offensively, dump the puck in and be really strong against the boards, team mates will come in and support you. really changing the gameplay” says Sean, as well, with over 150 goalie animations, the revamping of the goalie specifically will really give gamers new intensity levels to deal with, especially playing online in leagues and tournaments.

Adam, the first purchaser of NHL 10 in Toronto. While you read this and wait for stores to open on the 15th, he will already be dekeing, fighting, and scoring hat tricks.

As the line proceeded into Future Shop at midnight, eager fans (as well as some passer byers) faces lit up as they stood on the escalator to be met at the top with employees welcoming and handing fans copies of the title. I was able to speak and get a photo with Adam, the first purchaser of NHL 10 to walk out of Future Shop with the game in hand and while I didn’t want to keep him from playing the game he eagerly waited for, I couldn’t help but feel the same sense of urgency to rush home and pop this bad boy into my Xbox 360. After seeing people play the game, and speaking with Mr. Ramjagsingh, I rushed home, but like any responsible reporter, work first play second. Once this writeup is over, I’m heading straight to the Xbox for some NHL 10 goodness. Well, would you look at that? writeup is over! HOCKEY TIME! (stay tuned for a full review in the near future).

NHL ’10 Crashes the Party Sept. 14 Across Canada

Brett Caron — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:07:51 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Are you excited for EA Sports NHL 10? If you’re Canadian, probably. The #1 selling console game in Canada has it’s launch parties in Toronto and Vancouver Monday, September 14. The Toronto party will be at the Yonge and Dundas Future Shop with Wendel Clark and Ian White (of Maple Leafs fame) from 9pm to 11:45pm, and in Vancouver’s Granville and Robson Future Shop with Trevor Linden of the Canucks. The Future Shop locations will be open until 1am, so check it out if you’re not too busy… and on a Monday night, what’s your excuse?

Cheers!

More NHL 2K10 Media To Keep Us All Excited!

Josh Salem — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:09:09 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

That’s right hockey, sport, and gamer fans. We have been given the green light to release this new second teaser trailer showcasing the features and fun of NHL 2K10 for release this fall.

Briere takes center stage in this teaser as he unleashes a breakaway that is stonewalled by Turco before dekes, hits, and mid-pass team changes ensue as all hell breaks loose (hockey style).

Enjoy the video after the break!

NHL 2K10′s First Teaser Trailer Is Here

Josh Salem — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:25:02 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Here you go hockey and game fans, below you will find the first official teaser trailer for NHL 2K10 by 2K Sports.

With an new emphasis on casual gaming now both the hard-core and not-so-hard-core and both join in on the fun with true to life authenticity, revamped AI, online and offline multiplayer, and much more! NHL 2K10 faces off September 15 for the Wii, PS3, PS2, and Xbox 360.

Enjoy!

Alexander Ovechkin on the Cover of NHL 2K10

David Barmak — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:58:56 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

2K Sports has chosen Alexander Ovechkin to grace the cover of NHL 2K10. In celebration, 2K Sports is holding a public outdoor motion capture session with Ovechkin himself at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The game’s producers will be putting the hockey star through a number of drills to capture his signature style data.

Alexander Ovechkin, in case you didn’t know, plays left wing with the Washington Capitals. He was the first overall selection in the 2004 entry draft, and scored more goals this season than anybody else in the NHL. In a statement published by 2K Sports, Ovechkin says: “It’s a good time to be Ovi!”

NHL 2K10 is being developed by Visual Concepts for the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2. It ships later this fall.

Game Review: NHL 2k9

andPOP Staff — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:16:52 +0000

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After reviewing over 10 games on the Wii, I finally got my hands on a hockey title. Leading up to this exciting day, my mind would fill with ideas of how the controls would work, simulating a slap shot, dekeing and faking, basically hoping for a direct simulation of an actual game of hockey thanks to the Wii’s unique position in terms of controller inventiveness. When I popped in NHL 2K9 for the Nintendo Wii, the first thing I noticed was the sharp cut off between the intro music and going straight into a quick match setup. It seemed that there was no true main menu in the game unless you read the small text at the bottom saying “press the + button to select menu”. I guess I could shrug this off in the assumption that 2K Sports was trying to instill the idea of instant action without bothering the player, and in fact, I support this decision as it makes the game begin that much quicker.

Playing the game itself is challenging. The introduction and all aspects found in most hockey games are present, but once that puck drops, it feels like a totally different game… or at least a hockey game you might have played a few years ago on the Gamecube. The graphics found in NHL 2K9 are nearly insulting to watch, with basic reflections, abysmal audience and simple animations, the un-detailed renderings of the players, while smooth, are simple at best.

Music wise you get the same old rock anthems and hockey jingles that appear in any other game and the voice commentary, while appreciated, is frustratingly repetitive to a point where you just want to mute your TV. Otherwise, the sound effects coming from the skates and players are simple recordings of real life sounds, both realistic but bland.

Now let’s talk about controls, what the Wii prides itself on. Controlling the flow of action is pretty unique in NHL 2K9, you use the analog stick to skate around and the remote to control your stick handling, sounds great but its so touchy and reactive at times while being sluggish at others that it’s nearly impossible to pull off a high skilled deke shot without making a mistake somewhere. Using the Wii-mote’s accelerometer to wind up slapshots is cool, but when you want to do it, it doesn’t work out how you hoped it would, and when you just want to dump the puck, you wind up… well, winding up! It’s hard and cumbersome to do simple maneuvers other NHL games can do with easy such as checking or stripping the puck from another player, and to go back to the graphics issue, the animations are so simple you don’t even realize your doing a move by the way the players look. One feature that still do this date eludes me is that no matter how hard I try to get into a fight, I just cannot seem to start one, there aren’t any instructions in the manual about how to control a fight and from all the demos I’ve watched and times I’ve played, I have yet to see a fight, I’m starting to think perhaps there is no fighting in NHL 2K9 for the Wii

Once your done playing exhibition games, 2K9 offers a number of other game modes to enjoy such as the following: Franchise mode allows players to focus on any NHL team to guide them to the Stanley Cup, making decisions about players on the ice, management, coaching, drafting and more. Mini-rink gives 2 on 2 hockey action on a tiny rink, bouncy walls and no penalties make for one action packed minigames. Pond hockey gives players a 4 on 4 match with invisible walls that still clank like plexiglass, and finally, the all important shootout mode. While these options aren’t all that expansive, and there isn’t a creation mode of any kind, it’s still nice to have some extras in a game that seems to be missing the ball on so many other features.

All these negatives being said, I still feel NHL 2K9 is the best hockey game out there on the Nintendo Wii to date, the nunchuck controls are fun to skate around with, and with the selection of other game types, you will have plenty to draw upon when the old NHL leaves you lying flat. After all, there’s always next year… NHL 2K10?

Gameplay: 2.5/5
Graphics: 2.0/5
Sound: 2.5/5
Replay Value: 3.0/5

NHL Gets Celebs To Blog During Playoffs

Eva Lam — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:04:34 +0000

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Canadian director Jason Reitman, actors Adam Beach and David Boreanz and director Kevin Smith are among the celebrities the NHL has recruited to blog about hockey.

More than a dozen celebrity fans will write about their favourite team or their love of hockey on the NHL website during this year’s playoffs.

Beach, who can currently be seen as Det. Chester Lake on NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” will be following the Ottawa Senators in their run for the Stanley Cup.

Boreanz, star of TV series “Angel” and “Bones,” will track the Philadelphia Flyers, while “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” director Smith will do the same with the New Jersey Devils.

Reitman, who has directed commercials for the NHL, is a Canucks fan. When his team failed to make the playoffs, “I decided……… that I’m going to write a kind of mythical blog about what the Canucks and [L.A.] Kings would be doing had they still been in,” he said.

This is the second year the NHL has lined up TV, music and film celebrities to blog about their hockey fandom.

Other celebrity bloggers this year include actors Thomas Cavanagh and Thorsten Kaye, reality TV star Rob Mariano and musicians Syd Butler and Dierks Bentley.

Helpful Tool for NHL Fans

andPOP Staff — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:49:10 +0000

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Joining an NHL Hockey pool this playoff season? Why not build a winner using the Windows Live Messenger NHL Stats Agent?

Add it now to your Messenger Buddy List or your Office Communicator Contacts and start getting all the stats for your favourite players: nhlstats@hotmail.com

Get the answers you need with questions like: “Who plays left wing for Toronto?” or “How is Sydney Crosby doing?” or “Show me last night’s scores.”

Windows Live Agents are a cool technology designed to drive deep engagement with end-consumers through WL Messenger, but they can be thoroughly customized for Enterprise applications (and their customers) as well. The Agent uses the technology of Colloquis, a company recently acquired and brought in-house by Microsoft.

It’s an interactive Messenger Buddy designed to provide current NHL stats data and NHL Playoffs stats data to anyone who adds it to Messenger or Communicator. We thought it’d be an interesting and different way for Canadian Fantasy Sports players (traditionally 18-34 year old males) to get their NHL fix. Statistics are provided to us by STATS, the leading global provider of sports information and statistical analysis.

Hockey Column: No Way Jose!

andPOP Staff — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 06:53:48 +0000

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As a fan/supporter of Jos? Th?odore for many years now, it seems like I have become his spokeswoman/lawyer. Everyone I know, be it friends, family or peers, all ask for my thoughts/opinions/analysis on everything Th?o related. And throughout his many hardships and rough patches, I have stood up to all the negativity and criticism and defended him all year.

And boy, what a tumultuous year it has been indeed. During the 2005-06 NHL campaign, the former NHL MVP found himself making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

His play on the ice dropped significantly as he struggled with the new, smaller regulated goalie equipment. Th?odore, who is only 5?11 and 182 lbs, looked tiny in the net at times. He seemed to go down into his butterfly-style too soon exposing the whole top-half of the net and he often let in soft goals through the five-hole between his legs earning the nicknames ?The-open-door? or Jos? ?top shelf? Th?odore.

Th?odore failed an Olympic drug test as he tested positive for the use of Propecia, a hair-growth drug that is commonly used as a masking agent. The Canadiens? team doctor was quick to clear up the matter stating Th?odore has been taking Propecia for eight years on prescription and not to hide the use of other drugs. Insert jeers and jokes here.

During the two-week Olympic break, Th?odore slipped on the icy front steps of his house fracturing his heel. During his recovery, Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey traded Th?odore to the Colorado Avalanche for goalie David Aebischer.

Th?o?s Avalanche debut was put on hold as he continued to rehab his injured heel.
Th?odore and his long-time girlfriend St?phanie Cloutier also became parents to a baby girl, Romy during that time.

As heartbreaking as it was to see him traded, things were looking bright for Jos?. I was hopeful that this change of scenery and the new addition to his family might be exactly what Jos? needed to start his resurgence.

Although he posted only one win in his five regular season games in a Colorado jersey, Th?odore was able to backstop the seventh-seeded Avs to a first-round upset over the second seeded Dallas Stars. His performance in the series clincher was a spectacular 50-save outing in game five that went into overtime. Colorado was eventually swept in the second round by the Mighty Ducks, but the flashes of vintage Jos? Theodore were evident.

And then?scandal broke!

This past week, Jos? Th?odore?s name and visage has been splashed across tabloids all over the world as he was photographed holding hands and partying with hotel heiress Paris Hilton in Toronto following the Much Music Video Awards.
Since the ordeal, it has been reported that Cloutier, his girlfriend of eight-years and mother of his child, has given him to boot out of their Montreal home.

Th?odore is no stranger to controversy and scandals. During the 2003 off-season, several members of Jos??s family, including his father and half-brothers, were arrested on loan-sharking charges. Jos? himself was not charged or believed to be involved in any manner; he did stand by and support his family during this ordeal. That same summer, a photograph of Th?odore with members of the Hell?s Angels biker gang ran on the front page of a Montreal newspaper.

Already coming of a disappointing season where the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs, Jos? kept a low-profile that summer and many wondered how he would respond in the fall when the 2003-04 NHL season began.

Th?odore was able to put all doubt aside as he set a new career-high in wins (33), had six shutouts and was able to lead the Habs to the post-season when they came back from 3-1 deficit to upset the Boston Bruins in the first round. Th?odore even earned his first career playoff shutout in game 7.

It?s been a rollercoaster ride all year long with Jos?. Right now it seems like we?re suspended mid-air waiting for the drop. For Jos??s sake, let?s hope he can work things out with St?phanie and Romy. And for the Colorado Avalanche?s sake, they are hoping he is able to have a similar rebound this fall for the start of his first full-season with Colorado.

And for our sake, the next time we hear or read the expression ?No way Jos?!? hopefully it will be referring to a spectacular, highlight reel save he just made. I know he can do it.

Sports Column: Kids, We’re Going to Game 7!

andPOP Staff — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 05:07:57 +0000

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For the third straight NHL playoffs, Lord Stanley?s Cup will be decided in only one game.

The 2003 the New Jersey Devils capture their third Cup in seven games vs. the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the following year in 2004, the Tampa Bay Lighting defeated the Calgary Flames in a decisive game seven situation as well.

On Monday, the Edmonton Oilers will be looking to join the likes of the Devils and the Lighting to be known as Stanley Cup champions. An Edmonton win would not only mean the Stanley Cup would return back to Canadian soil for the first time since 1993, or a cool symbolic sixth Cup in the year 2006 ( 6 in ?06), but it would also cement the 05-06 Oilers? place in the NHL history books as well.

At one point in this series vs. the Carolina Hurricanes, the Oilers trailed three games to one. Their power-play was a dismal four-percent, they were averaging just over one-goal a game, which in itself is an inflated stat considering the Oilers scored four goals in game one only to blow a 3-0 lead to lose 5-4.

Entering game five this past Wednesday, many hockey reporters were preparing their obituaries for the Oilers. The team were not giving any indications that they could beat the ?Canes who had all the momentum of a 3-1 lead in the series and a chance to win their franchise?s first Cup on home ice. It seemed like the clock had struck midnight for this year?s Cinderella team.

The game itself had three different lead changes, not to mention tense moments late in the third period with the teams tied 3-3. The teams held on to push for overtime, giving the Hurricanes an opportunity to win in dramatic fashion. The game was ended in dramatic fashion?just not the way Carolina would have planned it to.

Early into the extra frame, Oilers defenseman Steve Staios was assessed a minor penalty. The Hurricanes? power-play was firing on all cylinders in the game, as all three ?Canes goals were scored with the man advantage. They had the game served up on a silver platter?so it seemed.

An interesting aspect of the Hurricanes power-play is they often employ five forwards as oppose to having a defenseman or two manning the backend. This is to increase their goal-scoring prowess; however it puts them in a vulnerable position if the opposing team make a break shorthanded.

Edmonton-born Fernando Pisani would make them regret it as he picked off a cross-ice pass, breaking in alone and snapping the puck high on Carolina goalie Cam Ward to win the game, putting the Hurricanes? champagne on ice and guaranteeing one more game back in Edmonton?s Rexall Place.

With that goal, Pisani scored 4 game-winning-goals this post-season. That tied him with ex-Oiler Ken Linesman and Hall of Famer Paul Coffey for second place on the Oilers? all-time list.

Game six gave the Hurricanes the opportunity to do what they couldn?t do in Raleigh, NC Wednesday night; however Pisani and his team mates would not have any part of that. Pisani opened the scoring in a 4-0 stomping of the Hurricanes. Pisani?s goal stood up as the game-winner tying him with Jari Kurri for the lead on the Oilers? list with five playoff game-winning-goals.

And that’s where we stand right now.

With game seven slated for Monday night back in Carolina, the Oilers will be looking to be the only team to rally from 3-1 down in a Stanley Cup final to win, a feat completed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942!

Losing games five and six marked the first time the ?Canes have dropped two games in a row since losing games one and two vs. the Montreal Canadiens in round one.

The Oilers play their best hockey when their backs are against the wall and the Hurricanes are showing what a season of success and domination in their southeast division can do to a team in the gruelling post-season: erases their killer instinct needed to dispose of teams and fight back?both are qualities the Oilers have possessed all year and throughout the playoffs.

The ?Canes? flight back to Raleigh must have been a long ride since they were empty-handed and if they fail to take a page out of the Oilers? playbook for Monday?s game seven, it?ll be a long, long off-season for the boys in North Carolina as well.

Sports Column: NHL Final Four – Good or Bad for Business?

andPOP Staff — Sun, 21 May 2006 02:59:31 +0000

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The Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lighting, Nashville Predators and the Calgary Flames were all sent packing in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils and the San Jose Sharks followed suit in the second round.

And then there were four. An unlikely four really; Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers.

Welcome to the new NHL.

When the National Hockey League re-launched after the 301-day lockout wiped out the entire 2004-05 season, Commissioner Gary Bettman promised that under the new economic structure, all teams, regardless of their marketplace, would be able to compete on an even playing surface as the wealthier teams. Even though Bettman is vilified by hockey fans, give the man some credit, he achieved exactly what he said he would.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, one team that had a significant advantage economically in the old NHL, failed to make the playoffs this year. Clear-cut ?favourites? like Detroit, Philadelphia, Dallas, Colorado, Ottawa and defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay all hit the golf courses early this year.

Having Anaheim, Buffalo, Carolina and Edmonton as the final four teams remaining in the Cup hunt is a good thing for the league in the sense that it is proof smaller market teams can make a legitimate run at the Cup. The Edmonton Oilers were able to acquire Chris Pronger, Michael Peca, Sergei Samsonov and Dwayne Roloson this season. Carolina went out and got Doug Weight and Mark Recchi, Anaheim were able to sign Scott Neidermayer and bring back Temmu Selanne.

However, on the flip side, having four small market teams eliminates the large fan interest that a Toronto, Montreal, Detroit and Colorado final four would have generated.

So far, the NHL has been successful in increasing ratings and attendance throughout the regular season, but now when the Cup is about to be awarded for the first time since June 2004, will anyone care?

In hockey-mad Canada, if the Oilers make it to the finals, they will take the place of the ?04 Calgary Flames as ?Canada?s team?. If the Sabres represent the eastern conference in the finals, most likely more fans would possibly tune in since Buffalo is much more of a hockey market than Anaheim or Carolina.

It does remain to be seen whether a Ducks-Hurricanes final would be disastrous or beneficial for the NHL since the ?new? league is centred on making money and generating fan interest to smaller markets. If fans in those respected cities are the only ones who care, then the NHL would be achieving neither.

‘New’ Players in the ‘New’ NHL

andPOP Staff — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 06:32:23 +0000

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New York Rangers? forward Jaromir Jagr is the cover boy of this week?s issue of the Hockey News with the headline that reads: ?I Love New York.?

The last time fans saw Jagr, it would be hard to convince anyone he loved playing in the Big Apple. It seemed the passion Jagr displayed during his years in Pittsburgh was gone.

However, with a full NHL campaign lost due to a labour dispute, it is out with the old and in with the new.

Jagr is one of the many NHL players who have embraced the rule changes implemented by the League to allow the offensive, skilled players the time and space to be crafty with the puck to boost scoring and create excitement for fans.

During the lockout last season, Jagr re-gained his love for the game of hockey when he played for Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League. Jagr even agreed to return to Omsk if the lockout would have continued on into this season as well.

Prior to the start of the season, the question surrounding Jagr was: ?Which Jagr would show up? Would it be the Jagr who played in Pittsburgh or the Jagr who played in Washington and New York??

Along with the ?new? NHL, fans and reporters alike have seen a ?new? Jagr lead his team with 23 points in only 15 games. The Rangers as a team have been a pleasant surprise as they current sit atop of the Atlantic division in the East. If the Rangers keep up their winning ways, they could be poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

Alexei Kovalev, Jagr?s former team mate in both Pittsburgh and New York, is also proving critics wrong with his play thus far this season.

Kovalev, who re-signed with the Montreal Canadiens after testing the free agent market this summer, cleared up any thoughts that he did not enjoy his brief stint with the Habs after being traded from the Rangers in March 2004.

After a slow start with Montreal, Kovalev showed what he was made of during the playoffs as he was a key player in helping the Canadiens upset the Boston Bruins in the first round.

With the crackdown on obstruction, Kovalev has been given the room he desires to hold onto the puck and cycle dangerously around the opposing net. This season, Kovalev has 16 points in 15 games and has seemingly been a positive role model for rookie Alexander Perezhogin.

Montreal fans have been treated to an Alexei Kovalev who not only scores goals, but passes the puck, doesn?t over-stay his shifts, delivers hits, blocks shots, plays defensively to kill off penalties and so far has yet to give up on plays like he has done in the past.

Both Jagr and Kovalev are surrounded by skilled linemates, [Michael Nylander & Martin Straka for Jagr and Saku Koivu & Richard Zednik for Kovalev], which helps enhance their play as first-line players and also being a part of winning teams helps boost their confidence.

Prior to the start of the season, Kovalev, eager to bring another championship home to Montreal, was quoted as saying playing in New York messed up his career and the Rangers in the last few years are notorious for ruining careers of star players.

That may have been the case since the Rangers, who had the highest payroll in the pre-salary cap era of the NHL, were New York?s greatest under-achievers; however, Jagr and a younger Rangers squad are proving that anything is possible in the new NHL.

Gaming Column: NHL 06 Delivers

andPOP Staff — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 02:59:17 +0000

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If you’ve read enough of my reviews then perhaps you have come to notice that I am more so the actionadventure gaming buff and that I seldom review sports games; in other words, I’m a nerd. But that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize a fun game with fantastic features when I see it: enter NHL 06 for PS2, Xbox and Gamecube.

Last month I purchased a PSP bundle that came with Gretzky and the very next day I had to buy a new game because the great one just didn?t cut it. I understand fully that comparing games on consoles to games on portables is like comparing apples to oranges but I feel that in this case I have to do it simply because NHL 06 triumphs in the area in which Gretzky fails ? a crucial one in this case ? gameplay.

With Gretzky handling the puck is just plain annoying – half the time when you try to recover it, you find yourself skating right around it. This makes it nearly impossible to set up some nice one-timers or crucial rebound shots. Puck handling with NHL 06 is smooth and even better, you can pick up the controller, watch for the button guide on the load up screen and you?re good to go.

In a few matches I found myself quickly moving beyond the basics and onto some of the more complicated areas, such as switching up your defensiveoffensive strategies. Toggling the strategies is done with the D-pad while player movement is controlled by the left analog. The right analog is used to activate a star player?s special shots. It sounds complicated having to worry about two analogs and a D-pad but it becomes quite fluid after a short while.

What impressed me most about this game was that it was more than just firing the puck at the net, it was also about being able to quickly switch up your defensive or offensive strategy on the fly – it becomes almost an art. For example, moving past the third line and changing your offensive strategy, so that you have two men move down with you allowing you to initiate beautiful set-ups and pass-backs would leave the goalie nice and schooled. This also works in reverse, for when your opponent begins to move into your zone you can make the quick switch to your defensive strategy so that if needed, the whole team comes to the rescue.

In general, the game is still no cakewalk. It?s almost an insult to the goalie if you bother to shoot the puck from the third blue line for instance. You really have to get the hang of the targeting system when shooting the puck as well. When you hold the button down for either a slap or wrist shot, targets appear behind the goalie. Aiming at an illogical target won?t give you the goal but deeking to the left and then aiming for the right will improve your chances.

The game has a variety of modes including full season and exhibition, as well as NHL 94! I don?t know if EA was aiming to show how far hockey games have come along but this is certainly what comes to mind when playing the more-than-a-decade-old version. I also loved being able to create a player and model his facial features to look like anyone I wanted. I chose to model a player after myself. And on top of this, when I used my doppelganger in the game the commentator referred to him by the name I entered, which was my own, ?Johnny.? How spectacular is it when charging down rink with the puck to then hear the commentator say, ?Johnny fires the shot and scores!?

So there you have it, NHL 06 is in many ways proof that we shouldn?t get too excited about the next generation of consoles just yet because there are still solid titles on the systems we have right now. Definitely pick up a copy of this one, especially if you?re looking to get an early fix of hockey now that we know we’ll soon be able to get back into the race for the cup.

NHLPA Ratifies New CBA

andPOP Staff — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:43:14 +0000

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The National Hockey League Players’ Association voted 87 per cent in favour of the proposed collective bargaining agreement.

The NHLPA wrapped up their meetings held in Toronto today and will await the results of the board of governors ratification vote tomorrow.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to fly to Toronto tomorrow to give a joint press conference with NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow to officially announce the new CBA.

Once the owners ratify the deal, the NHL will be open for business as of Saturday as general mangers can begin buying out players and issuing qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

NHL and NHLPA Reach Tentative Deal, Pending Ratification

andPOP Staff — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 15:22:46 +0000

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Game on for the NHL!

The National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association have come to an agreement regarding a new collective bargaining agreement ending the 10-month lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.

Pending ratification, the six-year deal will be officially complete on July 21. The NHL Board of Governors will vote on the deal next Thursday and the NHLPA membership will vote next Tuesday.

The new CBA will include, as reported earlier; a hard salary cap within the range of $21 million US to $39 million US, a 24 per cent roll back on all existing player contracts and qualifying offers, the age of unrestricted free agency to be lowered from 31 years old to 27 years old in 2008. The League?s total expenditure on player costs cannot exceed 54 per cent of hockey revenue and the salary cap can move up or down as revenues either increase or decrease.

Reaction from the hockey world is pouring in as players, agents and general managers comment on the tentative agreement.

Assuming both sides ratify the deal next week, the 2005-06 NHL season will go on without delay.

The NHL has also set a date for the 2005 Entry Draft, July 30 in Ottawa, where Sidney Crosby will begin his NHL journey.

The next few weeks promise to be highly entertaining as teams begin buying out players, signing free agents and prospects in order to build their rosters for the fall. The 2005 off-season promises to be one of the most memorable and busiest off-season ever in League history.

The 2004-05 season was officially cancelled on Feb. 16, wiping out all 1,230 regular season games and the playoffs; resulting in the Stanley Cup not being awarded for the first time since 1919.