Ever since a labor lockout forced the NHL to miss an entire season, the sport has been trying its hardest to get back into favor with the fan base. Last year they made terrific strides as NHL 09 was the best sports game of the year by far, even trumping titles as Madden and FIFA. EA was faced with the decision on how to improve on what is an already stellar game. They followed the very simple, but effective mantra for NHL 10: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Anyone who played NHL 09 last year will have zero trouble picking up where they left off. Very little has changed via the game play and it has gotten some minor tweaks to make it feel even more real and satisfying. Forechecking gets an introduction this year where pinning a man along the boards is a regular occurrence and the puck can be kicked out with a skate or stolen with a poke check. Open ice checking has been toned down a bunch which is refreshing. People don’t get laid out every time they cross the blue line nor should it happen in the game at that frequency. If a player gets knocked to his knees, he can still play the puck and even shoot it. The goalie animations are great, the player models spot on and even the crowd looks that much better.

My one major qualm with NHL 10 is the after the whistle play. We all like skating around after the whistle and trying to lay out an unsuspecting player. This year, it will result in all hell breaking loose. Any late hit, shot at goal, slash after the whistle, will result in someone coming after you if it is an AI player. They will try to kick your ass and other players will begin doing the same thing. Fights will result, which are now from a first person view. The fighting is fun at first, but they can last a while and make the game drag on.

Other reviewers have said that not enough has changed for NHL 10 to warrant it a must buy and I respectfully disagree. The leaps and bounds from 08-09 were so large and successful, how can it be expected for the same to occur year after year? The game is awesome. Any hockey fan who is a gamer must and probably already has bought this game. The career mode is still there which is awesome. You collect player cards as you progress which adds to the experience and there are online leagues where 10 can play at a time. I could not have been more satisfied with this game outside of actually driving a Zamboni between periods. EA Sports has really lit the lamp with NHL 10.