NHL 13 will hit store shelves on September 11, 2012. Preorder is available on Amazon however we recommend waiting to see what preorder bonus EA will offer this year.
NHL 12 COUNTDOWN
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How to get your Legend Card.
Having a hard time getting you Legend Card? Or if you are playing on a PS3 perhaps you have suffered from the performance tracker glitch and it has stopped working.
You can use this spreadsheet to help give a better idea of how par you need to progress before you achieve the next level. Simply go in to your Performance Tracker in NHL 12 and write down how many circles are filled up. If a circle is partially filled up estimate it to the nearest tenth of a point. Write these numbers down and plug them in to the spreadsheet and Voila!
Legend Tracker Spreadsheet
Vote for the cover of NHL13
“The announcement of the cover athlete has become an event unto itself, and every year we look to grow the platform and innovate around the launch,” said Keith Wachtel, Senior Vice President Integrated Sales, NHL. “The creation of the NHL 13 Cover Vote campaign, presented by BlackBerry, does just that by building an exciting new platform for players to connect with fans while bringing together two of our valued partners.”
NHL 12 Be A Pro Builds – Power Foward
Power Forward is one of the most enjoyable player types available in NHL 12. While the goalies can shove and fight, power forwards can now stake their claim in front of their oppositions net. EA didn’t forget how much the power forward contributes by wreaking havoc in the offensive zone. But how does one become a great power forward. Well lets begin by taking a look at one of the NHL’s premiere power forwards….. Rick Nash uses his size speed and skating ability to force plays in deep on opposing goaltenders. He is known for having a wicked wrister and can use his big frame to plant himself in front of the net, battle off the opposition and leave himself in prime scoring position to nab rebounds. Welcome to the world of the power forward and thank you Mr. Nash for being our example today. Now depending on how many attribute points or boosts you have available you may not be able to get your attributes to resemble Nash’s right away. However I want to focus primarily on with the more important attribute areas to acquire the desired power forward.
For this installment I am using a right winger with Veteran 3 status. If you have made it to this level you should have already unlocked a number of boost slots and stat boosts.
- Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
For those of you still working towards your Superstar or Legend card you may want to lean towards a setup in the realm of Viktor Stalberg. So here it is!!
Viktor Stalberg of the Chicago Blackhawks
Stalberg is a LW PWF rated 81 in NHL 12
At Veteran 3 your Power Forward stats could look something like this.. Please note the asterisks signify a boost applied to attribute. Those demonstrated are for extra offensive firepower but to acheive a build well rounded to the style of Stalberg make sure you choose defensive boosts towards Def. Awareness, Stick Checking, and Shot blocking.
Overall rating 81
Now lets go in depth and explain the mindset behind this build.
- Passing – only 73? Yes! and the reason for this is that you require good passing lanes and accuracy with your analog stick regardless of your overall attribute. On average with this build you can still put up more assists than goals without the need to waste attribute points on passing.
- Slapshot Power and Accuracy – Left to default levels? What gives? Well once again the power forward should remain in and around the vicinity of the net at all times. Rarely would you find yourself quarterbacking a power play so you will find it more beneficial to use your points towards your wrist shot.
- Hand-Eye – Whoa! The closer your are in to the net or guarding another player the quicker you realize that you win or lose battles and games by inches. Give yourself the edge to intercept, deflect, and bat pucks out of the air.
- Offensive awareness – Much like hand eye this is going to help you out big time on your fore-check and help make plays turn the other way for odd man rushes.
- Balance – Quite possibly the most important stat if you plan to park yourself in front of the net.
- Agility – Whats a good deker do without a good left right lateral movement. Create space for place by having a high agility.
- Strength – Strength contributes more than you know. Not only to the physical but also offensive aspects of your game.
- Endurance – Also a very important stat especially towards the end of your game. You can see that this is the future stat to build on from Superstar forward. This rating though is just enough to get the job done since your grinders and tough guys should be doing the majority of your back checking.
I use the 6’4” 220 pounds for this build however you can choose for yourself whether you want to be left or right handed. Use this build and you can get aggressive and watch your stats start to resemble those of Mr. Rick Nash. Remember. Its all about positioning. Don’t chase the puck. Head to where the puck is next, and follow your position arrows until you reach legend status!
If you have a player that you would like featured please leave a comment and we will do our best to update with your preferred additions!
Stay tuned for more as we will be covering more Builds, HUT, Dekes, Team Play Strategy and all the other goodies. Take care kiddies! 
NHL 12 DEMO IN REVIEW
The wait is over! with just under 19 days remaining until the release of NHL 12 we fans were finally treated to an appetizer of hockey gaming’s main course. The last few years of the NHL series have been such a treat as EA continues to tune in its physics engine injecting life and unpredictability into the series. While the list of improvements this year is a mile long, fans of the series have be forewarned, that many improvements might appear subtle on the surface. Add up the dozens of improvements though and EA hopes that gamers will revel in the games ability to feel continuously fresh and unpredictable.
As opposed to going in depth covering features of the demo I solely want to focus on the differences in gameplay. I began by jumping right in to the play now mode which drops you right into the action in the 3rd period of the Stanley Cup finals. Regardless of what team you chose you hit the ice with a deficit, down a few goals, to your competitor. This first thing you will probably notice is that player movement is more natural and that the overall presentation of the game is easier on the eyes and more fluid. By the end of my first minute on the ice I notice how loose the puck feels at times. Much more lifelike and much different from last years puck on a string feel. Hitting feels much more solid. It really takes some speed and planning to drill players. The vibration function of the right analog stick also feels much different lasting longer on checks that last year. When you are skating into traffic you feel the pressure of the defense and the battle to open up lanes and keep the puck in the clear is much more difficult. In front of the net you feel almost glued to your opponents as you both jockey for position in front of the net. Contact felt more even amongst players with feet firmly planted and less bouncy. Passing feels a little bit tighter almost as if a little more forgiving. Harder passes were quicker and much more fluid to release while mid deke. While these are all subtle on the surface. Watching all of these gameplay physics unfold before you is a real improvement and tribute to the overall authenticity of the game. Scoring was much different and actually posed a challenge in my first hour of game play. I tried the glitch shots from the outside circle. The high percentage breakaway dekes, the screened slappers and the around the net backhands. Shot after shot……after shot. In fact I didn’t score a goal until my third round 45 minutes after first trying the demo. The new goalie physics may very well be the most significant enhancement to the series in years. They propose a much needed challenge to scoring and stand in the way of gamers who online have long plagued the gameplay with surefire glitches and a desperate lack of creativity.
After some serious hands on time with the demo i still have yet to see a helmet come off or the glass shatter to the ice. Last year it felt as though sticks were made of balsa wood and that EA much overdid it with the broken stick feature. Careful placement and timing can add so much really posing a challenge or treating you to something exciting that you may well not predict to happen twice a period.
Gamers will get to participate as either the Boston Bruins or Vancouver Canucks.
“Watching all of these gameplay physics unfold before you is a real improvement and tribute to the overall authenticity of the game.”I think the problem i faced as I tried to make the most of the demo, was that I was trying to play NHL 12 like I played NHL11. It has the feel of a new game once again this year. The interface feels glossed over but the gameplay, where is really matters most, is once again being spiced up and served fresh. The overall feel of the on ice play feels new and will take every gamer aspiring for greatness some time and devotion to master.
NHL Legends featured in NHL 12
NHL Legends Featured In NHL 12
Check out this new trailer featuring Wayne Gretzky, Ray Bourque, and Chris Chelios. Looks like you also get a sneak peek at possibly Lemieux as well. Other favorable additions will be Patrick Roy and Gordie Howe – Mr. Hockey ( 3rd all time pts leader and finished in top 5 in scoring for 20 straight seasons. ) EA looks to be taking their time announcing the all legend team brand new to the game series this year. Look for legendary player cards in Hockey Ultimate Team, a brand new ultra rare series of cards. These will probably be tough to draw and will fetch a truckload of pucks on the open market.
NHL 12 Demo Details
EA Sports has announced that the NHL 12 demo will be available to PlayStation and XBOX gamers on Tuesday August 23rd. The demo much like last year will feature Stanley Cup Finals action, this year picking up in the 3rd period with Boston vs. Vancouver. The new addition this year is the ability to jump-start your Be A Pro character allowing users to create their player. This will give gamers plenty of time to spend getting their attributes just right before the game drops on September 13th. Gamers will once again have the chance to unlock a few HUT card packs so players can jump right in and beef up their squads from day one.
Multiple Be A Pro Builds
EA Sports Season Ticket Details
EA Sports has recently launched its “Season Ticket” program. A $25.oo per year program that gives buyers early access to EA Sports games three days before they hit the market. Included is a 20% discount on paid for perks such as boosts and ultimate team packs. When you break down the math of perks for pennies, and how many you must spend to start reaping the rewards of your discount, you may want to consider how many EA games you really plan to buy this year, and how much cash if any you are willing to pony up on downloadable content or boosts..
hmmmmmm.
You could be the first to try to put the hurt on Sidney Crosby
Or you could be doin’ crazy glitches with Lemieux.
Go ahead and get a head start.
It just kind of seems unfair. Dont get me wrong the gaming industry is not a democracy and I know this. And game developers can feel free to set whatever price on their goods that they feel they are worth. But it just seems like its becoming to much of the same old nickel and dime treatment. A lot of gamers out there are going to spend upwards of 100$ on NHL 12 this year between the pass, the game, the game boosts, HUT packs etc.. It feels like every year EA finds a way to put another price tag on some new form of competitive adavantage. Since I usually only stick to the NHL and sometimes Tigers Woods series, this Season Pass just seems like a disappointment to me. You will have to be your own judge.
Be A Pro Revamped!
Be A Pro is getting a major facelift this year drawing the player in with a number of improvements to add depth to the offline game mode. Players can now progress through 18 career stages playing up to four full seasons in the juniors before being drafted by an NHL club. New coach interactions and new Highlight Tracking are the two biggest updates players will see in this years interface. Check the video out for the full preview!
