I am writing to you as the newest member of the Edmonton Oilers. After dazzling my way through games as a member of my local AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, I finally got the call from the General Manager that the parent club wanted to see what I was made of. Was my 30-goal season with the Falcons a fluke, or could I genuinely contribute to the Oilers’ chances of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time since 1990? The pressure’s on as I stand in the hallway, waiting to skate out on the ice of Rexall Place with my new teammates, in front of a crowded house of hockey fans thirsty for a championship.

Will I be the next Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby?

NHL 09 makes this scenario as real as you’re likely going to get and has likely changed forever how hockey games will be played and experienced. Whether you’re playing in the new Be A Pro mode as a center in the AHL looking for your chance at stardom, or whether you and a group of online buddies try to bring home the championship in the newly-created EA Sports Hockey League, NHL 09 centers on putting you in the game more than ever before… and it succeeds with flying colors.

Better This Year

Playing NHL 09 may initially feel a lot like last year’s game, but the improvements are noticeably almost immediately. Unlike NHL 08’s rather inconsistent hitting and checking, NHL 09 brings the pain with more hits and more physicality. Players make brutal contact if they line up a check just right, with the resulting hit looking as painful as it likely feels. There’s also the addition of puck protection this year for those odd-man rushes and swift entries into the offensive zone through the blue-liners. Visuals are also bolstered by a consistent frame rate of 60 frames per second, something that last year’s game lacked. The good parts of last year’s control scheme return unscathed, including the Skill Stick and trigger-button passing.

Upon starting up the game for the first time, you’ll be asked to create a player. After completing a rather thorough customization process, you can begin playing in Be A Pro mode. Be A Pro tasks you with starting your career in the AHL with aspirations of being called up to the NHL and hopefully make some history. You’ll play entire games solely at your position; so, if you’re a center, that’s where you’ll play all game. If you’re a goalie, you’ll police the crease for the entire game. Unless you’re a goaltender, you will spend shifts of time on and off the ice depending on your your stamina level, and knowing when it’s best to skate to the bench for a breather– and when it’s not (such as leaving the ice when the puck is in your end, leaving your team temporarily shorthanded).

The camera focuses on your player throughout the game; when on the bench, you view the game as if you were watching with your own eyes. If you’re on the ice, the camera centers and rotates around your player while offering a fairly decent view of the rest of the action. The camera does have a tendency to be wonky when you’re positioned behind the opposing net, but otherwise works well.

Performance Is Key

It’s not an easy road to the big time, though, as your performance on the ice is constantly scrutinized by the coaching staff and bad nights can lead to demotion down through the lines. Good games, however, will earn you points with the coaches and move you up to more prominent roles on the team– this will in turn get you noticed by your AHL team’s NHL parent club. Consistently high performances will grant every AHL player’s dream; a chance to play in the NHL.

Be A Pro mode isn’t just about accumulating stats, it’s about playing the best game of hockey you can, game after game. Positioning on the ice is important; blue arrows will direct you as to where you should be at all times. Failure to maintain proper positioning affects the grades you’re awardedfrom the coaching staff, but staying in good position will not only make the coaches happy, it will make you and your team better.

In addition to positioning, your player is graded on stats and team play. If you call for too many passes that get intercepted or broken up, you’ll receive a lower grade. If you’re caught offsides or give up silly penalties, you will get a lower grade. If you’re on the ice when the other team scores a goal, you’re held accountable and will receive a lower grade. Upon making it to the NHL grades and productivity are taken into account to a greater degree and poor performances can easily lead to your demotion back to the AHL, so you have to not only play well, but play smart.

As you master the controls and improve your play the stats will come. Be A Pro mode sets expectations for your player each season, based on his position and ratings. For example, a sniper at center may need to obtain a certain number of shots in a season, along with a set number of goals, assists, and points. Much like the grades during games, players are also graded on how closely they come to– or exceed– the goals set by the coaching staff.

In addition to meeting these expectations, racking up stats unlock certain in-game achievements and award you points that can be used at the EA Sports World site, which is the online hub for EA’s sports games this year. More importantly, better stats earn you experience points which are used to improve your player’s attributes. The number of experience points earned from game to game generally varies from low to moderate quantities, meaning that you’re going to have to play lots of games to earn enough experience to significantly improve your player’s attributes.

Gameplay Modes

Speaking of online functionality, the addition of the EA Sports Hockey League is to online play what Be A Pro is to offline solo play. Much like in Be A Pro, your created player plays his particular position for the entire game alongisde other players controlled by real-life humans.  Just like in the NHL, these created teams of online players have their own stats and standings, and EA Sports promises to hold a playoff at the end of the season for the top ranked clubs. It’s a new way to play hockey online and you’ll find yourself rooting for your team a lot more knowing that numbers and pride hang in the balance.

In addition to these two new gameplay modes, traditional modes of play return including Franchise and online Versus play. Franchise mode is largely the same format as last year, with no surprises. Online play retains rankings and leaderboards outside of the EASHL, and it’s pretty easy to find an online opponent. Our online experience was only rarely interrupted by lag or disconnects.

Eye & Ear Candy

As mentioned earlier, the strong visuals in NHL 09 are buoyed by a smooth and generally consistent frame rate of 60 frames per second. The level of detail is impressive when it comes to the jerseys and to the hockey venues. In fact, the hockey jerseys this year seem a bit better than last year, especially on the AHL side of things. The lettering looks correct and the various tucks seem more natural. Venues are also good, although the AHL arenas seem a bit more generic this time around. Linking to the PlayStation Network also allows for updated advertising; I recently saw a blitz of ads around the edge of the rink for Eagle Eye. The advertising isn’t really obtrusive, but will raise an eyebrow here and there. Unfortunately player faces seem to be hit or miss, and there are still far too few stat overlays present to resemble a TV-style presentation.  ESPN no longer covers hockey, but why not use an ESPN-style presentation?

Gary Thorne and Bill Clement return to the broadcast booth to call games, with similar results as last year. There is a good deal of dialogue that sounds recycled from last year’s game, but even with repetition, they still deliver some of the best sports game commentary around. Expect to hear insightful comments from the duo about a team’s performance, scoring tendencies, and even a little about the team’s history. Surprisingly, there are a few spots in the game where the commentary glitches; we heard Thorne follow a goal call with an immediate comment of how the shot went wide, plus there are a few name inaccuracies. These issues aren’t enough to take points away from the overall presentation, but it’s almost certain that you’ll hear what we mean at some point.

The sound effects are spot on, from the puck rattling around the boards to the clink of the iron after a shot rifles off the crossbar. The EA TRAX soundtrack isn’t all that obtrusive, although you may get a little tired of hearing Avenged Sevenfold’s Afterlife after a while.

The Final Verdict

NHL 09 is, simply put, the best hockey video game that I have ever played. It’s not a perfect game, but the new additions to the successful formula that NHL 08 brought to the table really put this game over the top. Be A Pro mode alone is worth the price of admission here; not only is it a thrill to play out a career as yourself and rise through the AHL to the NHL, but the little things like proper positioning and being accountable for your performance from game to game really holds your interest.

You’ll want to keep playing to bolster your stats, make the big time, and propel your team to earn the ultimate prize on ice. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fan of an NHL team, love the AHL team in your backyard, or just have a passing interest in hockey: NHL 09 is the must-have sports title of 2008.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back onto the ice… we’re only two points out of the division lead and I just got promoted to the second line. It’s time to put the biscuit in the basket.

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