While the NBA2K series once again takes sweat to the next level on Playstation 5/various XBox naming conventions,* EA Sports’ NHL ’21 mainly stays in place. Actually, judging by the reverse retro jerseys hitting ‘NHL 21, and NHL ’94 Rewind, you could argue that EA Sports’ hockey focus is often in the past. But what about future games, particularly whenever the series jumps to the PS5/Xbox Series X/etc.?*
After getting in an unsettling number of reps with NHL ’21, let’s make a wish list for NHL ’22. Actually, let’s throw the net wider. Here’s a wish list for the first EA Sports NHL game capable of really yielding the power of next-gen consoles, NHL ’22 or later.
* – Seriously, those Xbox naming conventions are downright unwieldy. Get it together, Microsoft.
Frankly, you don’t need to do much digging before you find complaints about gameplay in NHL ’21, and other recent editions. And many of those criticisms are valid. Offense really is too dependent upon cross-seam passes and/or one-timers. Artificial intelligence remains lacking in crucial areas, especially with teammates in the offensive zone.
Realistically, it would be better for EA Sports to make incremental progress in those areas, rather than throwing out all of their code altogether (so to speak).
Because making a new NHL game, engine and all, from scratch? That’s easier said than done.
EA Sports itself suffered through painful lessons with its NBA titles. For years, the NBA Live series sold reasonably well, even though NBA2K titles were more critically acclaimed. Maybe those review scores got to EA, as they tried to revamp their NBA games. Let’s just say it hasn’t gone well. There have been cancellations, “Starship Troopers”-sized bugs, and cancellations following embarrassments over bugs.
In a dream world, EA Sports could pump huge resources and staffers into revolutionizing NHL ’22, thus finding a perfect balance between simulation and fun. In reality, NHL ’21 and its ilk might be flawed, but there’s fun to be had.
No doubt, there’s plenty of room for improvement. Just note that this wish list aims to keep expectations at least somewhat reasonable.
While a part of me fears that custom rosters and other sharing suites might open up the door for racist or profane names, these features are fairly common in sports games. Just about any time EA Sports announces player ratings, people gripe. (I, for one, remember the days when Eric Lindros was a star even into his Rangers days.) By allowing users to share custom rosters, you could limit at least some of that whining.
The idea of jamming servers with leagues of up to 31 people — hundreds, if not thousands of them — seems like it’s asking a lot. But it was in EA NHL games many moons ago, and people want it. And … let’s be honest, it would certainly be cool and ambitious.
Maybe it would be too much to ask EA to allow conditional draft picks to be part of trades. But maybe they could allow no-trade clauses to be part of negotiations? Perhaps signing bonuses could make or break a deal, or make a team’s owner get impatient with losing?
In NHL ’21, EA Sports added some flavor to its trade deadline. It isn’t perfect, yet it’s an improvement. It would be great to see that bit of flair added to contract negotiations and other facets of running a team.
Look, the truth is that NHL games don’t command the same budgets as a FIFA or Madden. So maybe it wouldn’t be feasible to add Joel Quenneville, and thus delight fans by rendering his mustache with glorious HDR.
(How many teraflops does it take to capture the art of the dive?)
You can get deep into the weeds talking about the smaller and biggers ways to make NHL ’22 and future titles more authentic. The above list seems like a good start, though.
[MORE: A review of Franchise Mode in EA Sports NHL ’21]
OK, now for an airing of pettier grievances.
Granted, player ratings bring things back to be careful what you wish for. While the ideal is to truly capture the stardom of a Connor McDavid, it could also create grumbling. After all, if you wanted to bring your favorite team online, would you be happy facing a loaded Lightning squad, and so on?
Counterpoints like these remind you that EA Sports and other developers face challenges. Plenty of people have wish lists for NHL ’22, and they’d likely be very different from mine. What would be on yours?
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
CHICAGO — Marian Hossa isn’t exactly sure how he will feel when the Chicago Blackhawks retire his No. 81 jersey.
The Hockey Hall of Famer is certain he is going to watch some more numbers from his championship teams in Chicago go up to the United Center rafters some day.
“There’s so many names (that) deserve it to be up there,” Hossa said. “It’s not up to me, but I know I will be coming back for some others in the future.”
The 43-year-old Hossa gets his moment before the game against Pittsburgh, another one of his five teams during his 19 NHL seasons. He becomes the eighth player to have his number retired by Chicago, joining an impressive list that also includes Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard and Tony Esposito.
During his eight years in Chicago, Hossa scored 186 of his 525 career goals and collected 229 of his 609 assists while playing a 200-foot game that helped the development of the team’s young stars – sparking a remarkable run of success for the franchise.
“Everyone talks about his two-way game, but he had 500 goals, too,” Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. “So he’s a pretty impressive offensive player, but brought a lot to our team.”
Hossa stepped away from the game after the 2016-17 season because of a progressive skin disorder. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame a year ago.
Free from the grind of games and practices that irritated his skin condition, Hossa is feeling good these days. And he is hoping to take on a more active role with the Blackhawks.
“Definitely like to be a small part with the Blackhawks organization,” said Hossa, who also has a new book out on his hockey career. “I know it’s been a long time but try to make sure I’m going to make the right decision with what part I will take.”
Hossa played for Pittsburgh when it lost to Detroit in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. Then he played for the Red Wings when they lost to the Penguins in the 2009 Stanley Cup championship.
In 2010, it finally worked out for the rugged winger.
After signing a 12-year, $63.3 million contract with Chicago in free agency, Hossa helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. With Hossa’s two-way game and the rise of a strong group of young players that included Kane and Jonathan Toews, Chicago won the championship again in 2013 and 2015.
Hossa’s commitment to defense left a lasting impression on Kane.
“Teams would be transitioning the other way and he would come from behind and pick the guy, and then all of a sudden you got an odd-man rush or 2-on-1 break the other way,” Kane said. “But you definitely see the effect that has on the team and the game, and you try to do that as well. And it gets you into the game when you do something like that.”
Hossa was known more for his offensive skill when he broke into the NHL with Ottawa in 1997. But he learned a lot about playing a more well-rounded game during his one season with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in Detroit.
“The break came when I joined the Detroit Red Wings, and that year gave me so much, even when we lost,” he said. “I learned from the best to play the right way, and I think when I came to Chicago I saw so much talent so I knew you don’t have to worry about scoring goals that much.”
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins have hired a law firm led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to review their player vetting process after signing prospect Mitchell Miller and then rescinding his contract offer.
The team announced it retained Lynch of the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to conduct an independent review of the process. Miller, who was convicted of assault in 2016 for bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities in middle school, signed an entry-level deal with Boston this month even though the Arizona Coyotes previously relinquished their rights to him after drafting him in 2020.
The Bruins rescinded Miller’s contract offer after facing harsh criticism around the hockey community and from players currently in the NHL. In their latest statement, they pledged to cooperate with Lynch’s investigation and publicly disclose the results of the review when completed.
“We recently fell short of our high standards and disappointed both ourselves and many in our community,” the Bruins said. “Moving forward, we are committed to ensuring that our values are reflected in everything we do as an organization, including our process for vetting future players.”
Bruins President Cam Neely said the team “dropped the ball” in its vetting process in the aftermath of the signing and rescinding fiasco, which still has multiple ways it could get worked out since Miller is technically still under contract and part of the organization until it’s terminated or bought out or there’s a settlement.
Neely said in a statement the Bruins thought Miller’s conduct was an isolated incident and that the team reversed course based on new information – particularly that the team hadn’t spoken to victim Isaiah Meyer-Crothers or his family.
Neely met with Miller, agent Eustace King and Miller’s mother prior to signing him. Neely said he shouldn’t have assumed the vetting process also included a meeting with Meyer-Crothers’ family. Asked why that didn’t happen, Neely said: “It’s a great question. Something I need to find out.”
After the Bruins announced the signing of Miller, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the 20-year-old defenseman would not currently be eligible to play in the league without major changes. Boston players voiced opposition to adding Miller, with veteran forward Nick Foligno saying it was “hard to swallow.”
In a statement released by the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Meyer-Crothers said he hasn’t seen any proof Miller has changed his ways. Meyer-Crothers said Miller reached out by text to apologize and to say he was doing community work to help young people.
Lynch was already involved in another high-profile sports matter relating to race. The NFL in February hired her and her firm to defend it and its teams in the race discrimination lawsuit brought by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores.
The Bruins said retaining Lynch “will help us ensure that our process going forward reflects our core values.”
TORONTO — Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo, former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, Finnish women’s national team player Riikka Sallinen and Herb Carnegie were welcomed into the Hockey Hall of Fame as the class of 2022 on Monday.
The Sedin twins and Luongo were elected in their first years of eligibility back in June, while Alfredsson had waited since 2017. The induction of the Sedins and Alfredsson increased the number of Swedish players in the hall from four to seven.
Selected No. 3 overall at the 1999 NHL draft – one spot behind Daniel – Henrik Sedin owns a big chunk of Vancouver’s record book as its leader in assists (830), points (1,070) and games played (1,330) in his 17 seasons.
The center playfully offered his 2 cents in the never-ending debate about whether he or his brother – who both terrorized a generation of defenders with their vision and skill – was better.
“I missed 30 games in my career and Danny’s production was not the same,” he said with a smirk. “In 2010, Danny missed 20 games . I had 11 goals and nine assists.
“With Daniel I was barely a 20-goal scorer. Without him I would have been a career 45-goal scorer.”
Henrik won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as its leading scorer in 2009-10. He added 78 points in 105 playoff games that included the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
“You have always been a calming influence in my life,” Daniel, who spoke before Henrik, said of his brother. “In my mind, you are both a better hockey player than me (and) better person than me.
“And I’m saying this sincerely, but also knowing that he will stand up here in about 10 minutes.”
Daniel Sedin’s 393 goals – many of them off a pass from Henrik – top Vancouver’s all-time list, while he sits second behind his brother in assists (648), points (1,041) and games played (1,306). He put up 71 points in 102 playoff appearances.
“I want to thank whoever it was that selected me to speak first,” Daniel said with a laugh. “It reminds me of draft day.”
Daniel won the Ted Lindsay Award as league MVP voted by NHL Players’ Association members as well as the Art Ross in 2010-11.
Henrik Sedin paid tribute to his brother’s drive.
“To know that someone would be in the gym every morning waiting for me on the days I felt like taking a day off, that’s what made me the player I was,” he said.
Luongo, who played eight seasons with the Sedins in Vancouver, was drafted by the New York Islanders and retired with the Florida Panthers, but the goaltender’s days on the West Coast paved the way for his enshrinement.
The 43-year-old ranked third in NHL history with 489 wins when he retired in 2019 after 19 seasons. He sits second in games played (1,044), shots against (30,924) and saves (28,409).
Luongo said when he got the news he would be inducted, the first thing he asked was if the Sedins would be joining him.
“Wanted it so bad,” he said. “Proud to say that I played with you guys.”
Luongo twice won 40 games with the Canucks and made at least 70 appearances in four straight seasons.
A three-time Vezina Trophy finalist as the league’s top goalie, he finished second in the 2007 Hart voting and won two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014) with Canada.
“I’ve never been around anyone with the same determination and willingness to do anything to get better,” Henrik Sedin said.
Alfredsson registered 444 goals, 713 assists and 1,157 points during his 18 NHL campaign, which included 17 with the Senators. He added 100 points in 124 playoff contests.
An unknown sixth-round pick when he arrived in the nation’s capital, Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy in 1996 as NHL rookie of the year.
Ottawa’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points, he captured Olympic gold in 2006 for Sweden alongside the Sedins and guided Ottawa to the 2007 Cup final – a first for a European captain.
Alfredsson paid tribute to former teammates, trainers and coaches, including the late Bryan Murray, but also touched on a cause close to his heart.
“The pressures of hockey for some can become unbearable,” he said. “Mental health issues are a reality of our game. We’re long overdue to finally erase the stigma.”
Sallinen, who wasn’t in attendance, played 16 seasons with her national team, won Olympic bronze 20 years apart (1998, 2018) and is the first non-North American woman inducted into the hall. She added a silver at the 2019 world championships to go along with six third-place showings.
Carnegie, who died in 2012 at age 92, has often been mentioned as the most talented Black player to never reach the NHL.
Following a long career in senior leagues where he faced racism that kept him from achieving his ultimate dream, Carnegie founded Future Aces, one of Canada’s first hockey schools, in 1955. His work at the grassroots level pushing for more diversity led to his induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
TAMPA, Fla. — Mikhail Sergachev had two goals and two assists during a four-goal first period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 6-3.
Sergachev is the first NHL defenseman to have a four-point period since Toronto’s Morgan Rielly on Oct. 15, 2019, He tied the team record for points in a period.
Nikita Kucherov, Nick Perbix Cole Koepke and Nick Paul also scored for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves. Koepke’s goal in the third was his first in the NHL, coming in his 13th game.
Tampa Bay was beaten 5-1 by Washington on Friday night.
“I thought our response today was what we needed,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I think we learned a good lesson on how to respond. I loved our response.”
Steven Stamkos had his goal drought reach 10 straight games, but picked up two assists. The Lightning captain has 987 career points, moved past Dave Keon (986) into 98th place on the NHL list. His 499 assists moved him within one from joining Martin St. Louis (588) as the only Tampa Bay players to reach 500.
Washington star Alex Ovechkin was held without a goal for the third straight game and remains 13 away from tying Gordie Howe (801) for second all-time. He received a double minor for high sticking Stamkos during the second.
Conor Sheary, Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway scored for Washington. Darcy Kuemper, who beat the Lightning Friday night, was pulled after allowing four goals on nine shots. Charlie Lindgren came and finished with 24 saves.
Washington assistant coach Kevin McCarthy filled in again for coach Peter Laviolette, who is in COVID-19 protocols and missed his second straight game.
“Overall, obviously, very disappointed with our effort, especially in the first period.” McCarthy said.
Sergachev opened the scoring from the blue line 1:23 into the game. After assisting on Kucherov’s power-play goal at 8:19 and Perbix’s goal just under three minutes later, Sergachev made it 4-0 on the power play with 3:38 left in the period, ending Kuemper’s night.
The Lightning went 2 for 4 on the power play, while Washington failed on six chances.
Ovechkin got the Capitals’ first shot from the high shot with 2:50 remaining in the first
Sheary got the Capitals on the scoreboard late in the second.
Koepke made it 5-1 with 6:49 left in the third before the teams combined for three goals in a 59-second stretch late. Eller pulled the Capitals back within three with 3:01 remaining, but Paul got one back for the Lightning 17 seconds later. Hathaway capped the scoring with 2:02 to go.
Koepke’s goal was not determined until a video review after teammate Brandon Hagel scored on the same shift.
“That’s a first,” Cooper said. “It was fitting in the locker room, Hagel gave that goal puck to Koepke.”
Koepke thought the puck may have hit the post as play continued.
“It feels great,” Koepke said. “Something you look forward to.”
TIME OFF
Washington forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel, assessed a match penalty for a check to the head of Lightning defenseman Cal Foote on Friday, served the first game of a three-game suspension for the hit.
“It wasn’t intentional,” McCarthy said. “It’s a fast game, obviously. You just have to live with the consequences.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Lightning: Foote is day to day. … D Erik Cernak, who had a shot from Ovechkin hit his lower leg Friday is day to day, while Sergachev played after taking an Ovechkin shot off the arm.
UP NEXT
Capitals: At Florida on Tuesday night.
Lightning: Host Dallas on Tuesday night.
