New Features for NHL 11: Broken Sticks and Junior Hockey

[Doogie2K]

Calgary Hitmen goaltender and Los Angeles Kings prospect Martin Jones in NHL 11.

In the last few days, EA has announced a couple of new features for its forthcoming hockey simulation game, NHL 11, that will be of interest to the game's (and the sport's) hardcore fanbase.

First, on Thursday, Kotaku found a screenshot on the NHL 11 Facebook fan page showing off the "All-New Real-Time Physics Engine in NHL 11" by giving us...a broken hockey stick. Now, I know this is something that's never been shown in an NHL game before, but really, if you're going to promote a new physics engine, isn't a flimsy-ass composite stick the last thing you want to use to show it? Don't we get enough of that frustration watching the real game? I'd much rather have a video of guys getting blasted off their feet and into the boards, crumpling to the ice realistically before stumbling back to their feet. That's how you promote a physics engine: by showing off the awesome things you can do without canned animations. Maybe they're saving that for the E3 trailer.

Then, on Friday, Yahoo! Sports reported that teams and players from the Canadian Hockey League will be featured in the game for the first time in NHL 11. In past years, the NHL series has included the AHL, Swedish Elite League, and the SM-Liiga of Finland, so adding the top developmental league in Canada is the next logical step, and a welcome addition for fanatical puckheads and junior hockey fans like me. The League and its players will not be compensated for their appearances, despite technically being considered pros: Western Hockey League commissioner and CHL vice-president Ron Robison called it a "purely...promotional exercise" with "no financial benefit" to the CHL and its 60 member teams across three regional leagues. The clubs and players will be integrated into Be A Pro, Be A GM, and other game modes, meaning that the off-season draft mode will likely be used by the media to predict the real draft, just as the playoff simulator is currently used to predict the Stanley Cup champion. NHL 11 will also simulate the Memorial Cup tournament, held annually between the three regional league champions and the host team each year to determine junior hockey supremacy. As a bitter Calgary Hitmen fan, I guess I can at least cling to the hope that the game's simulation would kick out a different result than the one we got in reality.

Both of these should be welcome additions to the game for those who enjoy the more realistic elements of the game, or even for those who simply can't get enough hockey at any level. Plus, adding the CHL -- the NHL's primary source of new players -- means that gamers will now be introduced early to nearly all of the biggest names from the next year's draft class, which this year includes co-favourites Taylor Hall (Windsor) and Tyler Seguin (Plymouth).

Sources:

• Kotaku: What the H-E-Broken Hockey Sticks is Going On Here?
• Yahoo! Sports: Gamers put in control of CHL teams
• Yahoo! Sports: EA Sports confirms CHL teams, players to be in NHL 11
• CHL Press Release: Canadian Hockey League and EA Announce New Partnership

[Jackel]

I'm looking forward to playing as some of the different CHL teams!

[biosc1]

Vancouver Giants!

Now I will get to have some great competitions with my Seattle Thunderbird loving brother-in-law

Of course, I'm still loving NHL 10 and thought I wouldn't get NHL 11, but who am I kidding...I've been trained to buy buy buy

[Doogie2K]

I haven't bought a new NHL game this generation (getting NHL 2K7 and 2K8 for a total of $10 doesn't count), so...I'm tempted. I dunno. Probably not, because I'm cheap, but I'm tempted now.

[nabokovfan87]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

I haven't bought a new NHL game this generation (getting NHL 2K7 and 2K8 for a total of $10 doesn't count), so...I'm tempted. I dunno. Probably not, because I'm cheap, but I'm tempted now.

Be a pro should have tempted you. CHL stuff makes me want one, but I desperately want a completely redone goalie system.

[National Kato]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

I haven't bought a new NHL game this generation

I'm telling you, NHL10 is worth the discounted price you can buy it for now. NHL11 is going to have to add some significant features - not just stick breaking and another league - before I give NHL10 up.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by National Kato

I'm telling you, NHL10 is worth the discounted price you can buy it for now. NHL11 is going to have to add some significant features - not just stick breaking and another league - before I give NHL10 up.

That's actually going to be a EA's hardest thing to do...make NHL11 worth updating to. I don't care about roster updates too much. NHL 10 is pretty much the perfect hockey game for me.

[Doogie2K]

Originally Posted by nabokovfan87

Be a pro should have tempted you. CHL stuff makes me want one, but I desperately want a completely redone goalie system.

See, I don't like the idea of a part where I only play fifteen minutes of a sixty-minute hockey game. It goes against everything I've done since NHL PowerPlay '96. Plus, my positioning has always been shit; I play my game very arcadey, which means I would be a career ECHLer in this mode.

[Jackel]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

See, I don't like the idea of a part where I only play fifteen minutes of a sixty-minute hockey game. It goes against everything I've done since NHL PowerPlay '96. Plus, my positioning has always been shit; I play my game very arcadey, which means I would be a career ECHLer in this mode.

From what I remember, you can adjust the settings in Be a Pro mode, where you play not only your character, but also the same position on the line all the time.

[Serapth]

Last I bought was NHL08 and the cheap AI completely turned me off the game. I remember playing a season where I simply couldn't win the third game. COULDNT. One game I out shot them 112 - 10 and lost. The fact I could get 112 shots soured me on the game, but I was more disappointed by the fact the game seemed to pick the winner in advance, then adjusted the goalies skill level to match.

Annoying.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by Jackel

From what I remember, you can adjust the settings in Be a Pro mode, where you play not only your character, but also the same position on the line all the time.

BeAPro without line changes, so you are on the ice at all times. Personally, I like the line changes, gives me time to browse the web

Playing as a goalie is pretty fun as well.

[Jackel]

Yeah. I played with the line changes as well. It seemed to me like I was on the ice for most of the game anyways.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by Jackel

Yeah. I played with the line changes as well. It seemed to me like I was on the ice for most of the game anyways.

...and you can always force a line change by pressing B, if you feel like you want to be on the ice. Some days, though, I know I'm playing like crap, so I do let the computer get on the ice to score some goals

[National Kato]

I play with line changes because I want a more realistic +/- stat for my player.

[Serapth]

Originally Posted by National Kato

I play with line changes because I want a more realistic +/- stat for my player.

For me it depends on the team I am using! If they are a one line wonder... I turn off line changes.

[Orca]

The Be A Pro line management is a joke anyway. As a fourth line guy in your first games, you're constantly out there during powerplays and penalty kills - even as a grinder. Down by a goal late, you'll be thrown onto the ice over and over...and your ass should be cemented to the bench at that point.

It's supposed to be a mode for 'purists' but that stuff makes it kind of pointless.