The Stanley Cup Finals took some crazy turns in the NHL and with hockey still on the minds of many it is time to discuss a little NHL ’09. With EA Sports latest rendition of the war on the frozen pond in the books, it is safe to call ’08 a success in my mind. Apparently I am not alone in my assessment either as some considered NHL 08 the best sports game of 2008. Perhaps now is a great time to discuss what the next installment needs to do to trump this past year's.

The last two versions of NHL by EA have been a tremendous step in the right direction and have provided fun as well as simulation style hockey to fans of all kinds. And thus, there are high hopes for ’09. What needs to happen for NHL 09 is more of the same formula.

Sometimes EA tries to mess with success, and it is understandable at times, but probably not needed with this game. Changing the way players move or the way the game plays can be rewarding, but not in this series. EA has stumbled onto something good with the way this game feels and looks. Graphically I believe it is the best of any of Electronic Arts Sports’ games. Player models are incredible and details are alive in so many forms as you play the game. This needs to stay uniform the next few years.

What they can do is add the little things to engulf the user into the game even more. Better cut-scenes, more variety in player animations and a better front end with tons more in game stats and attention to real time occurrences. When someone hits a milestone I want to see it brought up. I would love to see cut-scenes with player profiles and stat breakdowns, things like home versus road past meetings and so on. Perhaps showing the standings along with real time scores from out of town games during the intermissions, something that EA had back in the early days.

Fixing small things is definitely the way to go for next year’s game. Board work can be slightly overhauled, as well as trying some new things with passing. Perhaps bringing back pressure sensitive passing or something of that style would be an improvement. I would still love the option to hit a modifier button and see passing icons brought up like a basketball game would have. I think it would make power plays a bit more advantageous if you could make that pass through the high slot to the point man when you wanted it rather than by accident trying to dish the puck in front of the net from down low.

As for other aspects such as the announcing, while NHL’s crew can get repetitive it is still some of the better commentary in sports games today. However, some new lines would be welcomed as always. Again, bringing up milestones or talking about a scoring race would be pretty stellar. However, I doubt we see anything revolutionary out of the sound department this season, and that is ok I suppose.

One thing that could really be worked on is the franchise mode. They seem to be confused as to which direction they want to go. Last year they included minor league affiliates and that was huge. Hopefully they continue that and add to it. On the other hand the setting ticket prices and owner aspects seem to be pointless anymore. They either need to fix it or ditch it. Right now it does almost nothing, making money or losing money has no bearing on anything going on with your team or job. And hopefully this is also the year we can have multiple user controlled teams in franchise.

The draft is another aspect that has just been of little consequence in the game. Having 10 years is sometimes not enough time to develop players and to bring them up through the ranks. I will be interested in seeing if they touch on this at all next fall. If they do that and touch up the trading engine a bit franchise could be great.

As for online, there are a few things I think people want to see worked out. Leagues are near the top of the list, they opened them up and could really go somewhere with them this year if they play their cards right. I think most of the attention is going to be on the multi player online mode though, something that was a great idea and I am glad they decided to attempt. Some tweaking during online play and things could be great in this aspect as well.

Making the games run faster, and by that I mean ditching online cut scenes all together is a must. Fixing some money goals is also going to be a priority, but you always open up the door for a new one or two each year with the changing game style. It is just the nature of the beast. Still tuning the old ones buys the gamers some time before the new ones are found.

Also, a huge complaint the past 2 years on next gen systems were the lack of roster updates. It has been discussed at length and one of the hopes for the future is weekly roster updates in all sports titles. EA has stated the reason it takes so long for them is the waiting for new players to sign and get into the players association. Then they have to have everyone sign off on everything. This takes forever. If it is possible to just do minor updates each week with player movement it would be ten times better already. Then, in addition to that, once a month or every two months make the major changes with rookies etc. Hockey is a sport that has many injuries and one that young stars rule the league. Waiting to get that prized rookie on your roster can make a game sit on a shelf a long time. Most people want to start that franchise right away and faster updates would help that out for sure.

One of the biggest additions I see for NHL ’09 is the new first person mode. Being able to play goalie is a neat addition, and they promised improvements with it, so many will be eagerly anticipating that. Still bringing a role playing type mode is overdue in sports gaming. MLB the Show did this well with Road to the Show and Madden and NCAA Football have their versions of this role playing type of mode as well. It makes perfect sense for NHL to follow suit. If nothing else it should provide a little entertainment on the side.

With all that being said the other things that could get mentioned would be custom soundtracks and in game ditties. That would be huge and something NCAA is doing this year. It would keep things fresh and hopefully it makes the cut. Also maybe some new game modes would help out. Bring back skills competitions and the 16 team playoff mode and this guy is a happy camper. Throw in some throwback jerseys and this game will take me right up to next July again.

I am certainly excited to see what they can do in NHL ’09 and you should be too. The groundwork has been set and with the foundation in place things should only improve this year. As always, stay tuned in as the news starts to roll in on NHL '09.