EA and Canadian Hockey League ink 4-year partnership

Eh.

This grea news for fans of the CHL, and a nice little bonus for fans of the NHL series.

Maybe it's just my sick mind but while I was scrolling down that logo totally looked like something else...

Someone should ink them a new logo.

So.... any new news on Killzone 3 yet?

The Canadian Hockey League: just one of the many exciting new bonuses you'll get when you use your online code to unlock it!*

*Disclaimer - May not work with used copies, rental copies, copies you borrowed from your friends, folks with dial-up or no internet, and probably some other situations we haven't thought of yet. If not, SORRY SUCKERS! We got your money, and GameStop doesn't do refunds on opened copies! So shut up, play our games as we dictate, and take it like a man!!! Soon the online code strategy will enable us big developers to take over the world! Muwahaahaahaaaa!!!!

And thank you for purchasing our products. Remember, we're nothing without you!* Psyche, gotcha! - EA Sports

*Some gamers will recognize this phrase as the one now-defunct "hardcore" RPG and schmup developer Working Designs used to put on the last page of all of their game manuals. My, how times have changed with regard to how game companies think of their consumers.

It would be nice if they fixed the glitches first...But who cares about game play anymore?

This is awesome to have this finally confirmed! Can't wait to skate around in my hometown jerseys :D

canadian love.

Not to nit-pick, but the CHL actually is junior hockey. They wouldn't be offended.

finally i can play as the sait john sea dogs. yes!!!!!

Is the AHL in the games already?

Everyone outside of the US (Minus Michigan, Maine, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Oregon) are more than likely not aware of the CHL.

Having worked for the Saginaw Spirit (AKA Stephen Colbert's team), let me just send out some basic info.

This is a developmental hockey league comprised of three leagues based on geographies.

This league plays a full schedule (72 games-ish), and follows NHL rules almost exactly. This is opposed to NCAA hockey, where there are only about 25 games, no fighting, and different rules.

Many, MANY great players have came through this league. Gretzky, Yzerman, Lindros, Crosby, Kane, Brodeur, Luongo.

Each year the winner of each league and the host team (rotates between each league) plays in a round robbin tournament called the memorial cup. This current year has Windsor from the OHL (feature the #1 draft candidate), Calgary (WHL) and Moncton (QMJHL). In addition the host team is from the WHL this year, Brandon (Maintoba).

Many players who get drafted from here go on to play in the AHL, which is kind of like triple A baseball in a sense. Junior hockey is not "minor league."

This is great news for fans of junior hockey like myself. I encourage people who like hockey to go through hockeydb.com and look at some of their favorite players; you would be surprised to see how many of them played junior hockey (as opposed to NCAA).

Tl;dr --> Junior Hockey > NCAA Hockey. Go Spirit.

So their names will be in there?...not overly excited about it cause i never see CHL games but i'll definitely add to Be A Pro if you can start in the CHL....anyway, can't wait for NHL11.

NHL Jr huh? hehehehe sigh....

Being a lifelong Medicine Hat Tigers fan this makes me quite happy - This will be the first time I'm buying an EA NHL game since '99 for N64

@Matthew,

I'm totally with you on the open-box policy, because I once worked for GameStop and know the lengths people will go to in trying to essentially get a "free game rental" by playing their fill for a few days and then returning a game. I have no problem with that at all, or with GameStop for enforcing it.

The issue that I and many other gamers have with this policy is that unlike before, it's going to become MUCH harder to "try before you buy" certain titles through rentals or loans between friends, and if you buy used you're automatically disqualified from being able to enjoy many features (including online multiplayer) that have always been givens for gamers. If you think the stink about EA doing this is bad over a few sports games, imagine what will happen if, say, Bungie/Activision impose the same limitations on Halo or Call of Duty, or any other major franchises with legions of fans are affected.

Everything I wrote above was tongue firmly in cheek, and not so much out of hate for EA as it is frustration and concern. Sure, they're "playing within the rules" as a business to milk the most money they can from their consumers, and if it works then the practice will spread like wildfire. The next level for these developers, I fear, will be in incrementally reducing the amount of content that comes on the $60 disc you buy, to the point that eventually the benefit of XBox LIVE subscriptions and PSN memberships will be rendered moot; you'll be paying through the nose for "map packs", levels, and tons of other content that easily could and should have made it onto the original disc. And what's to keep them from doing it now that essentially they've figured out this online code method of controlling what buyers have immediate access to?

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm wrong about this; it's going to get worse.