Ok, so I'm not Canadian. In fact, I was born in California and I'm living in Arizona. That doesn't mean I'm banished from the realm of hockey enjoyment, though. While my heritage and it's relationship towards the game of hockey are certainly up for debate, what's not up for debate is the fact that the upcoming hockey season should induce a collective cry of joy and excitement from fans the world over. As such, the hockey games being released this year are far more meaningful than the titles that were released last year. EA, as per usual, has rolled out their yearly installment of the best selling NHL series. How does 06 stack up?

Gameplay

As this is the first hockey title I've played all generation, I have no knowledge of how well 2K's hockey title for 2006 plays or looks, or how NHL 06 compares to last year's installment. This review will be based solely on NHL 06's own merits. As you fire the title up, you'll notice the vast wealth of options available to you from outset, many of which should be very familar to fans of EA's sports line.

Available immediately for play are Dynasty, Season, Exhibition, and Xbox Live modes, and all are fairly satisfying for the hockey fan within us. As you'll likely suspect, Dynasty Mode is the richest and most complete mode available. Ever wanted to run your own hockey franchise, day by day? Look no further. You can choose to be the cool cat, work environment first GM, or the vicious "I'm George Steinbrenner on ice!" and do whatever it takes to win. The options aren't as deep as say, Madden or MVP Baseball. For instance, you can't choose what sort of merchandise or concessions you'd like to sell at your arena, but it's not that detracting from the experience, though true micro-managers may be seething with rage.

You can choose how long a season you'd like to play in Dynasty Mode. Less hardcore fans will likely go for the twenty nine or fifty eight game season, while only the hardiest hockey fans will go the full eighty two games. Thankfully, for those of us who are less commited, you can simulate a few of the games. However, if you're anything like me, you dread the simulated game, as nine times out of ten the team you've nurtured and cared for and helped raise into the higher ranks of the league will usually lose. Thankfully, there's a handy 'Sim Intervene' option when you simulate a game. Is your team behind by two goals in the third period? Click Sim Intervene and you'll pop in with five minutes left in the period you chose to enter, even overtime. This will come in handy, as it seems that even when the team you're playing is the laughing stock of the NHL, it will usually come out with a goal or two lead.

Season Mode is basically "Dynasty Mode Light." If the thought of managing every last miniscule detail about your club sends chills down your spine and strikes fear in your heart, Season Mode is the place to be. You'll take care of minor things, like player trades, devising strategy, and stuff like that, but the vast depth of Dynasty Mode is not there. I personally enjoyed Season Mode the best, though the craziest puckheads may enjoy Dynasty Mode more. Much like Dynasty Mode, you're able to select how long a season you'd like to play, intervene in simulated games, and all that jazz. Also cool about Season Mode (as well as Dynasty Mode) is that you'll be able to play in the All-Star Game, be it North America vs. The World or Western Conference vs. Eastern Conference. Good times indeed.




Does anyone else miss the Islanders' fisherman logo? Anyone?

Exhibition is exactly what it sounds like. If you want to save the drama for your mama, and just jump right into some hard hitting hockey action, Exhibition is for you. Just select the team you want to play as and the team you want to play against, and you're off to the races. Exhibition will also be the place you'll want to get acquainted with the controls and gameplay dynamics of NHL 06. It also has no icing or offsides, so you'll be able to focus more on the core hockey action without having to worry about that jerk who passed the blue line before you did.

As any gamer with roots in the days of the Genesis and SNES will tell you, nothing beats the good old-fashioned multiplayer fun that a solid hockey title can provide. As long as you're not expecting a revolution in hockey gaming, NHL 06 is a more than capable title to play with friends. The meat and potatoes of this is online play over Xbox Live. I found a few matches available, and the connections were somewhat smooth (even through your garden variety DSL connection), though we did have a few server disconnects, but nothing so glaringly hideous it detracted from the online enjoyment to be had. Except for a small little glitch that makes connecting only possible if you enter a voice chat session. With this problem out of the way, there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy Xbox Live play of NHL 06.