Carraggi's Corner: How EA's NHL Sucked Me Into Hockey

[[Icy]]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: How EA's NHL Sucked Me Into Hockey

Well for me is even more weird, as there is no ice hockey in Spain besides 5 or 6 amateur clubs in the north. There is zero TV or news coverage, etc.

It all started with me being already a huge sports sim fan, who discovered the shareware version of EHM a few years ago, then the version under SI umbrella, and then NHL09 and the EASHL, where my addiction become almost an illness

So since 09 i'm the weird Spanish guy who follows the NHL daily and watches as much games as possible streamed online, who has played in some of the top EASHL teams despite living in a country where the only thing people knows about ice hockey is that the players fight each other frequently.

[ILLCHILL]

Re: Carraggi's Corner: How EA's NHL Sucked Me Into Hockey

A real Bruins fan wouldn't have stopped caring. A real Bruins fan would have stuck with the team regardless. Just saying.

It wasn't the team, it was the sport and the league. Tough to invest too much in the former if the latter disinterests you.

[duckfever8]

I got into hockey when I was about 7-8 years old with NHL 98 for the ps1 back in the day. The only things I knew were some team names (Oilers, Rangers, Islanders, Red Wings, Canadiens) and a couple players like Gretzky and Lemeuix. But that game got my hooked on hockey since it was unlike any other sport I've seen before. Plus hockey is fast paced exciting and most players aren't divas like many NBA pIayers. I decided to become a Kings fan because I use to like their uniforms. Now I got a collection of LA Kings jerseys, replicas mainly but their pretty spot on. While football will always be my number one, hockey is my number two favorite.

[Mikey88]

I remember introducing my buddy (American guy) to the NHL series on PS1 i believe back in the day.. He absolutely loved it and that got him to start watching games on tv.. He grew up in Cali where he played baseball and football in high school, never played hockey before but he thought he had a decent understanding on how to play.. and he always said that since he played baseball and football, hockey would be easy to pick up and play... lol....a few years after that he took it a step further and he joined a recreation ball hockey league with me. Needless to say he found it incredibly hard lol and has an even greater respect for the athletes that play the game at the pro level.

I think what i am getting at for people who've only seen games on tv or played the videogame, its hard to get a grasp on how hard the sport is to play, even at the recreation ball hockey level LOL

[Matt_350z]

Whats weird is.... the NHL series brought me back into videogames.

Like a lot of you, as I entered my 30's, other priorties and interests took over my life. I stayed a fan of the NHL, and continued supporting my Boston Bruins. However, it wasn't until a buddy of mine showed me NHL 08 on the 360 that my almost decade long hiatus from gaming ended.

I remember being in my teens, and throughout college playing EA's NHL game on the Genesis. Great times indeed. It was finally brought full circle in NHL 08, when I could now easily play the same friends across country, via online.

I feel it really shows the quality and overall fun this series brings to the table. I have since become a devout fan of SCEA MLB game as well.

[buzzguy]

Good write-up, Mike! Seems like many Bruins fans are getting back on-board, even after last season's playoff debacle. It's like you guys want to finish some "unfinished buisness"!
Being a Jets fan who can actually remember going to NHL games in Winnipeg, I envy you guys who have teams close-by. Especially the newer hockey fans and those coming back. Go see your local teams, and the atmosphere will make you wonder why you didn't go before, or just stopped going after the lockout. Cherish what you have and just love the game. If it took a video game to show you what a beautiful-yet-gritty sport hockey is, so be it. Strong testimont to how EA Canada's game is such a good example of what hockey really is.

[kLong023]

Excellent article! I can relate 100%!

I am 21 years old and when i was younger, my uncle was the announcer for the Wheeling Thunderbirds/Nailers (the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins) games. I was able to go to ALOT of T-Bird/Nailers games, and a few Penguin games. I often got to go on the ice right after the game, got to meet team many times, and they even gave me the game puck a few times. I was quite the hockey fan. But something happened over the years, and i stopped following and watching it all together. In the past 4 years, though, (i can't remember exactly which year it was), something made me pick up the yearly installment of EA Sport's NHL, and I fell in love with the sport all over again. I love the sport more than ever, know more about it than i ever have, and EA's game definately has something to do with that.

I've always been a big football ban, and I LOVE my Steelers, but this year, I was just as excited for the Pen's season opener last night at the brand new Console Energy Center as i was for the first week of football season.

Thank you EA Sports for helping to bring hockey back into my life! GO PENGUINS! GO BABY PENS! GO NAILERS!!!