Well, digital hockey fans, the day is finally here.
EA Sports officially released the newest instalment of its award winning video puck, and American Hockey Blog has had the privilege of having their hands on the game since early in the weekend. So, as our preview for you, we’re letting you know to expect when you fire up the game this season.
After EA’s initial update, you’ll see some shifts in the rosters, but nothing that changes the look of our beloved AHL. [Ed. Note: All ratings and rosters are as they appear in NHL 14.]
First, let’s talk a bit about the team ratings.
The first thing you’ll notice, for better or worse, is the lack of a clearly defined overall for each team, something that certainly saves EA a bit of a headache. However, the change to a star system makes the team ratings a bit muddled, with almost the whole league rated 3/5 stars.
Without further ado, the ratings:
- TEAM / OFFENCE / DEFENCE / GOALTENDING
- Abbotsford / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Adirondack / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Albany / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Binghamton / 2.5 / 3 / 2.5
- Bridgeport / 2 / 3 / 3.5
- Charlotte / 3 / 3 / 2.5
- Chicago / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Grand Rapids / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Hamilton / 3 / 3 / 3
- Hartford / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Hershey / 3 / 3 / 3
- Iowa / 3 / 3 / 3
- Lake Erie / 3 / 3 / 3
- Manchester / 3 / 3 / 3
- Milwaukee / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Norfolk / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Oklahoma City / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Portland / 2.5 / 3.5 / 3
- Providence / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Rochester / 2.5 / 2.5 / 3
- Rockford / 3 / 3 / 2.5
- San Antonio / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Springfield / 3 / 3 / 3
- St. John’s / 2.5 / 3 / 3
- Syracuse / 3 / 3 / 3
- Texas / 2.5 / 3.5 / 3.5
- Toronto / 2.5 / 3 / 2.5
- Utica / 2.5 / 3 / 2.5
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton / 2 / 3 / 3
- Worcester / 2.5 / 3 / 3
Beyond team ratings, we thought we would take the time to show you the All AHL Team, the lineup of the best players from around the league. Lines are set up in standard LW-C-RW with each players team and overall also noted.
Line 1: E. Wellwood (76 OVR – ADR) – P. Holland (78 OVR – NFK) – D. Smith-Pelly (78 OVR – NFK)
Line 2: J. Morin (76 OVR – RCK) – T. Johnson (78 OVR – SYR) – B. Connolly (78 OVR – SYR)
Line 3: Z. Boychuk (76 OVR – CHA) – B. Nelson (78 OVR – BRD) – A. Gordon (76 OVR – UTI)
Line 4: T. Beck (75 OVR – MIL) – T. Tatar (78 OVR – GRG) – N. Palmieri (76 OVR – HRT)
D1: J. Oleksiak (79 OVR – TEX) – M. Kostka (78 OVR – RCK)
D2: C. Robak (77 OVR – SAN) – B. Lee (77 OVR – SYR)
D3: T. Strachan (77 OVR – HER) – D. Rundblad (77 OVR – PRT)
G1: D. Tokarski (76 OVR – HAM)
G2: C. Nilstrop (76 OVR – TEX)
While you can’t run a Be A GM — the franchise mode — with an AHL team, you can create a season with an AHL team and run through a year that way.
We hope you enjoy the game, and remember to take a few breaks. It’s a long winter, you’ve got plenty of time to take your hometown team to the Calder Cup.
American Hockey Blog 