Every year you know it's autumn from the moans of despair hockey fans make when faced with the newest NHL game from EA Sports. It's like clockwork. The game gets released as the leaves fall off the trees, it sells like mad with fans of arcade ice follies and the true, die-hard hockey buff heaves a sigh stronger than, and casts a glare colder than, the north wind in the direction of EA. They've never gotten it right and it seemed like they didn't care… NHL was and always would be a glam-rock, big hair version of hockey. The Coolest Game on Earth(TM) rather than Canada's National Obsession. Wrong! Yes fan, EA Canada, they finally got it right!

Every year you know its autumn from the cheers of joy arcade hockey fans make when faced with the newest NHL game from EA Sports. It's like clockwork. The game gets released as the leaves fall off the trees and then the violence starts as virtual hockey players slam, check and crush each other all over the ice. NHL has always been about arcade speed, eye-candy and bone-crushing sound effects and music. Don't worry, EA Canada has really delivered the goods again this year!

Yes. NHL 2001 is both a floor wax and a dessert topping. Really. If you are one of the hockey purists who has been avoiding the NHL series because of its arcade sensibility, go back and read the last sentence in the opening paragraph. If you are an arcade action-hockey fanatic read the second one.