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Moneyball comes to the NHL with ProPuck Wizard
Billy Beane with the Oakland A's earned the most attention for his early use of analytics in setting up a line-up and running a major league baseball team. Now more and more sports are employing front office personnel with strong statistical and math backgrounds. ProPuck Wizard, a free universal app, now makes it possible for even casual fans to study and analyze their favorite NHL teams and try to discover what is responsible for the team's success or failure. ProPuck Wizard works on IOS 4.3 or later and makes available to fans a thorough breakdown of NHL team and league statistics that goes way beyond what fans would normally find available. Here is a breakdown of just some of the stats available: Tracks teams performance and standings by points, win percentage, and momentum Travel analysis including distance travelled, time zones, and back to back games Goal type analysis including even strength, power play, and short handed Shooting analysis of shots, shot percentage, and save percentage Game match-up analysis for past and future games Complete home/away/aggregate customizable game results All of these statistical breakdowns are updated each day so they are always up to date. In the Help section users will find explanations for all of the breakouts and how they are calculated. The breakout of season long travel for each of the teams demonstrates some numbers that might be important as the season progresses. Western Conference teams travel a much greater distance over the course of the season. All of the Eastern Conference teams are in the Eastern time zone so the distances between cities is relatively close. The only two teams that will travel more than 40,000 miles are Florida and Carolina. Meanwhile all but two of the Western Conference teams will exceed 40,000 miles in travel this year most by several thousand miles. Arizona and Dallas log the most air miles since the are both way south of the other teams. All those extra miles means longer flights after games and getting to bed much later. This could impact a team's performance at certain points of the year. The statistic breakdowns are all color coded. Green numbers mean the team is performing above the league average, red designates areas where teams are below the league average and the blue numbers mark the points where teams are right at the league average. That makes if very easy to see just how your team is doing as you go through the breakouts. All the number columns have headers which can be confusing but a single tap on the header brings up a table with an explanation of each header. If you are kind of a stat-head and really enjoy investigating all areas of performance by your favorite team in an effort to find the reasons for success or failure this app is for you. I am sure you will spend hours on ProPuck Wizard pouring through the numbers and forming your own conclusions on why your team should win the Stanley Cup.
Win a trip to the Stanley Cup with NHL Hat Trick Challenge
So you are a big hockey fan and think you know a lot of about the National Hockey League. Now you have a chance to prove it by downloading and playing the NHL Hat Trick Challenge. This free universal app require iOS 6.0 or later and offers users a chance to win weekly and one of three end of the season grand prizes. This app provides users with loads of information, statistics and highlights from the current NHL season. Plus it offers users a chance to compete against others for prizes. You get the opportunity to answer three questions each day. If you get all three correct you score a hat trick and earn points. Users accumulate points for the entire NHL season and the top three point scorers for the year win prizes. So if you want to win the top prize you will need to use the app every day to keep up with others. Missing a few days means no points and falling behind. You can check the leaderboard at any time to see how you stand. Scores are supposed to be posted daily. The top prize is a trip for two to one of the games in the Stanley Cup finals including air fare, hotel, game tickets, and spending money. Additionally, the top weekly point getters in NHL Hat Trick Challenge qualify for prizes too, either tickets to an NHL game or a gift card they can use to shop for team merchandise in the NHL.com shop. The questions each day are tied to the games being played that day. Which team will win, will Crosby score a goal, will the Bruins score on the power play, will Oshie get an assist? You make your selections and test your NHL knowledge. In addition to the questions, you receive extra info that might sway your decision. You will see what percentage of other users are selecting the top choice and get the pick of former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes. New questions are posted each day any games are played throughout the entire season. In addition to the weekly and season long competitions, users can join with others in individual leagues or you can start your own league with friends and find out which of you really is the most knowledgeable fan. Users will find NHL Hat Trick Challenge a good app if you just want to keep up all season with the NHL. The app provides a link to NHL.com and a full complement of information about the NHL, individual teams and players, including game previews, team schedules, league and player statistics, a fantasy game, video highlights, photo galleries, and more. But it also offers an opportunity to test just how much you know about the NHL. So if you are a more competitive fan, download NHL Hat Trick Challenge and test yourself each day of the season.
NHL preps for hockey season with redesigned apps
With the beginning of a new season a mere couple of days away, The National Hockey League is putting the final touches on how it's going to deliver digital content to fans worldwide. Accordingly, NHL today released a redesigned version of its mobile app for iOS and Android, featuring an overhauled scoreboard view, more integration with social networks and the addition of real-time video/audio highlights. The NHL application, previously known as NHL GameCenter, also brings redesigned menus that let you view more stuff with less taps, such as breaking news or other popular stories.
Be prepared for the new NHL season with NHL GameCenter
The 2014-2015 National Hockey League season begins in less than a week. One of the best ways to stay up to date with all the news and scores is with NHL GameCenter. This free universal app requires iOS 5.0 or later to run. NHL Game Center is really a multi-level app. The app itself is free and offers just about all the essential information a user will need to follow his or her favorite team and the NHL in general. You will find schedules, scores, stats, news, standings, league leaders, and even a place to buy merchandise to support your favorite team. Additionally you can get live audio feeds of every NHL game plus live video of those same games but each of those require an annual subscription. More on those in a minute. Users will find a team page for each of the NHL clubs. On this page you can get info on schedules, where to buy tickets, the current roster, latest team stats, plus access to the team fan gear. The roster page shows all of the current players and allows users to go into detail on each player with another individual page listing background information, how the player did in his last five games plus season and career statistics. The league leaders page breaks out eight stats, four for offensive players and four for goaltenders. You will see who has the most points, goal, assists, and the highest plus/minus ratings. The goaltenders stats include wins, goals against average, shutouts, and save percentage. In each stat area, head shots of the top two leaders are shown. Plus a simple tap in any of the eight sections brings up a list with the Top-30 players in that specific area. Users will find loads of useful information in NHL-Game Center. You can also access a video archive full of league videos broken into a number of areas including Glorious Goals, Super Saves, A Day with the Stanley Cup, Classic Bloopers, Funny Fans and more. All of these videos are free but are preceded by a 15-second commercial announcement. However, if you want live coverage of games you need to buy an annual subscription. The NHL sells a live video subscription for US$159 that gives users access to live game coverage from both the home and away teams, DVR functions, and game replays. Users of NHL GameCenter won't receive all of the games. Any national broadcast or game shown on TV locally will be blacked out. You can also purchase NHL GameCenter Premium for US$9.99 and gain access to live radio broadcasts of the games plus in-game highlights. Similar blackout rules are in effect. Verizon customers with smart phone LTE service can get the Premium content free of charge. I believe the NHL GameCenter app is worth downloading just to access the free information and videos available to users. If you are really a fan and want access to all the out of market games on your phone or iPad, then buy one of the paid subscriptions.
NHL 2K faces off on iOS, Android today [Update: Nope, it's delayed]
Update: This just in from 2K - "The global launch of NHL 2K is being delayed to ensure we are able to offer our fans the best gaming experience possible, on all compatible mobile devices. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but will keep you updated on the title's expected availability as it is confirmed." The mobile return of NHL 2K takes center ice today on iOS and Android, 2K confirmed to Joystiq. Announced last month, the game is the first in 2K Sports' hockey series to launch in four years since NHL 2K11 for Wii and iOS. The "complete and portable All-Star NHL experience" costs $7.99 and will receive live roster updates as the hockey season carries on. Developed by Visual Concepts and Virtuos, NHL 2K includes 2K's trademark multi-season My Career mode (which WWE 2K15 will also feature in its own way) as well as a quick Mini-Rink three-on-three mode. Players can also participate in asynchronous turn-based shootouts with one another or take their favorite teams through a full NHL season. NHL 2K also includes a Winter Classic outdoor arena as well as a Free Skate mode for players to practice their skills. [Image: 2K Sports]
NHL 2K series returns to mobile this fall
2K announced the return of its NHL 2K hockey video game brand today with the aptly-named NHL 2K. The game is in development for iOS and Android devices as a "premium mobile game" slated to launch this fall for $7.99. Players will take to the ice in classic NHL Winter Classic, Free Skate and Shootout modes, a three-on-three Mini-Rink mode, a "detailed" My Career mode and turn-based multiplayer shootouts. NHL 2K is the first entry in the series to surface in four years, the last being 2010's NHL 2K11 for Wii and iOS. The latest game is the result of a cooperative effort between NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts and Virtuos Games, the same studio that lent a hand to Square Enix with Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster in January. NHL 2K will include iCloud support on iOS devices, NHL GameCenter Live connectivity and MFi controller support. [Image: 2K]
EA names Bruins' Bergeron as NHL 15 cover athlete
Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was named the cover athlete of NHL 15 this week, EA Sports announced. Bergeron's claim to the front of the box was earned after winning a cover vote that started back in early May and eventually garnered 10 million total votes from fans. Bergeron defeated Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban in the contest's final round. The vote, in which fans were able to participate by using hashtags on Twitter, drew ire from the community when it was revealed that small-print language in the contest's terms allowed EA and the NHL to pick an athlete other than the winner of the vote. EA told SB Nation last month that the language in the terms is standard for contests like the NHL 15 vote and used only to protect "the integrity of the fan vote" from those that might auto-generate votes for their favorite player. NHL 15 will launch September 9 for Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360. While the game will include some flashy new features for the next-gen consoles, those versions will not receive the 94 Anniversary mode. [Image: EA Sports]
NHL 15 checks first screenshot, pre-order bonuses
EA Sports offered a first still image of the next entry in its hockey series today, NHL 15, spotlighting San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton in striking detail. The game was announced near the beginning of May as the first in the series for next-gen systems, and will include character models with three layers that behave independently: the athlete's body, their equipment and their jerseys. Thornton's jersey certainly seems to be wrapping well to his pads in the screenshot. EA also recently announced the game's retailer-specific pre-order bonuses. Those heavily invested in the game's Ultimate Team mode will want to pre-order their copy through either EB Games or GameStop, as they will receive $24 in Hockey Ultimate Team gold-level card packs, amounting to one pack per week for 24 weeks. All other retailers will include a similar offer, though limited to $15 in Ultimate Team card packs instead. NHL 15 will launch this fall for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: EA Sports]
NHL 15 skating to PS4, Xbox One this fall
Now that the NHL playoffs are in full swing, EA decided it's the perfect time to offer the first details for its next hockey game, NHL 15. As the first game in the series to grace Xbox One and PS4 this fall, much of its features focus on its visuals and physics. For starters, next-gen versions of the game will feature "12 player NHL collision physics" as well as rebuilt puck physics, the former governing all actions by every player on the ice (like when they slam into each other) with "real-world physics."
Improved stick skills shown off in NHL 14 trailer
This trailer for NHL 14 shows the improvements EA Canada has planned for the series in the stick skills department. For starters, puck chops will be easier to pull off with the use of the right analog stick and right bumper/R1 button. NHL 14 will also include simple one-touch dekes, which will allow more reactive cut-back moves. Some of the improvements revolve around tuning stick skills down, such as pokechecks, which will be less effective when players are out of position or the puck is moving at higher speeds. NHL 14 will grant a higher success rate to those that hold a position during faceoffs as well. NHL 14 will launch September 10 on PS3 and Xbox 360 with New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur on the cover. %Gallery-195329%
NHL 94 Anniversary mode is offline only in favor of couch co-op
NHL 94 Anniversary mode, a homage to the SNES and Sega Genesis hockey games of yesteryear, will not be playable online in NHL 14. When asked why this mode wasn't online-compatible, an EA representative told Joystiq it was to recreate the social experience of playing together with buddies on the same couch – like in the old games. "With the NHL 94 Anniversary mode our goal was to recreate the social experience that so many gamers had on the couch next to their friends. This is the mode you play when friends come over and you're up for some friendly old school hockey competition." NHL 14 is currently in development at EA Canada for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game features updated collision physics modified from the FIFA series' Player Impact Engine. Last month, the NHL 14 cover was awarded to the New Jersey Devil's Martin Brodeur.
Checklight, the head impact indicator from Reebok and mc10 is now on sale for $149.99
At CES 2013, mc10 and Reebok revealed the Checklight, a product built to help protect athletes who play football, hockey and other impact sports. Today, you can purchase one of your very own in men's, women's or children's sizes for $149.99 from Reebok's website. For your money, you get the sensor strip, a skull cap to keep it snug on your noggin and a micro-USB charger to keep it powered up. For those who've forgotten, the Checklight's a head impact indicator powered by mc10's flexible electronics technology that gives athletes and medical personnel simple, actionable information about impacts to the wearer's head. It's not a concussion detector, per se, but it does provide information about the location, number and intensity of impacts to your dome -- so it's a valuable tool that can help identify those in danger and keep them out of harm's way. Well worth $150, we'd say.
Devils' Martin Brodeur named NHL 14 cover athlete
EA Sports' NHL series will see a goalie on the box for the first time since NHL 97, as Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils won the annual cover vote to become the cover athlete for NHL 14. Brodeur beat out runner-up Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie. Brobrovsky won this year's Vezina Trophy, which is given to the goaltender that is considered the best in the league. The cover vote tallied over 22 million votes, though EA has not revealed how the votes break down. NHL 14 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on September 10, and will launch worldwide on September 13. %Gallery-192736%
NHL 14 cover vote goes to the sweet sixteen
EA Sports has announced the final sixteen players that have advanced to the next round of voting for NHL 14's cover. Each of the remaining players are lumped into a bracket format, competing head-to-head until the final match-up is decided and revealed during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. According to EA, more than 12 million votes have been cast in the competition's first two rounds, "with daily vote totals up nearly 70% over the NHL 13 Cover Vote Campaign." Fans signed into their EA account can vote an unlimited number of times during this round until May 12 at 11:59pm ET. Votes can be doubled on Thursdays on Twitter and Instagram by using specific hashtags for each of the remaining players. NHL 14 launches in North America on September 10, 2013, and worldwide on September 13. My expert recommendations can be found in the image above.
Sports Feed for iPhone is simple and quick
I have two folders of sports-related apps on my iPhone. Lately, however, I find myself frequently using Sports Feed, a free iPhone app that gives me a quick overview of scores and the latest sports news. To get up and running, you launch the app, and it asks you what you are interested in, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA. You can select all, none, or any combination. That's it. When you return to the main app you'll have the latest news, scores, stats, and videos. They come from the usual sports services, like AP, Reuters, ESPN etc. If you find something you want to share, you can do it via email, Twitter or Facebook. There's nothing fancy here, but there is plenty of content. Sadly, you can't focus on one team, or re-order the results, but if you are looking for a quick smattering of news this is the app for you. As you scroll down, the stories get older, so you won't miss anything. I think all that's lacking is a search window, but casual users won't care. Sports Feed has some very loyal fans, and if you try it you'll probably become one too. %Gallery-185463% Sports Feed is not a universal app, but will run on all but the oldest iOS devices. It is optimized for the iPhone 5, and requires iOS 6 or later. The latest update, released today, has speeded the app up, added more sharing options, and improved video quality.
NHL.com celebrates the 20th anniversary of NHL '94
I'm Canadian, so bear with me for a moment.EA's NHL '94 was an important landmark for the sport of hockey as the first game in the still-ongoing franchise to include authentic team names, logos and rosters. Twenty years later, it's still remembered as one of the best games of the generation by sports aficionados. Celebrating the game that helped form new fans and enhanced the experiences of existing ones, NHL.com has written a piece that deals with its legacy and how it has helped evolve the status of the sport and its players.In it, former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Jeremy Roenick reveals that people, to this day, still mention his virtual representation's dominance on the ice. "Whatever the case may be, I would say one out of three people I meet mention '94 Sega," Roenick says.The article continues with a look at how its highest-ranked players achieved cult status outside of the real-world sport. It's an interesting read for fans of the series, gamers that survived the 16-bit era, and sports fans looking to see how meaningful their favorite pastime can be in the digital era.If you're American, substitute all mentions of hockey with football for maximum effectiveness. Or tennis, if that's your thing.
Microsoft announces NHL GameCenter availability on Xbox Live
Microsoft's quest to become king of the living room by continuing the expansion of its console's entertainment services just grew a little more today. The Redmond-based company has announced that NHL GameCenter is now available to Xbox Live members with a Gold subscription, delivering great news to hockey fanatics ahead of the already controversial 2013 season. Regardless of lockouts and all that, though, the National Hockey League application's set to bring plenty of content to the Xbox Live folk, including real-time scores and stats, a Season Central hub that shows you the league's schedule and, naturally, the ability to watch replays and live games (as long as you shell out the $50 fee for the 2012-2013 season, of course). Per Microsoft, NHL GameCenter is available "around the globe," however countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland don't appear to have made the cut. The rest of you, meanwhile, can download the app starting today. Update: Below is a note from Microsoft about which countries can expect to see the NHL GameCenter app on their consoles, as well as more info regarding the situation in the Nordic regions. The following countries are receiving NHL GameCenter: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. The NHL app will not be available on Xbox within the Nordic markets due to an existing digital broadcast agreement already in place between NHL and Viasat Broadcasting. NHL games can be viewed instead via the Viaplay app, which launched on Xbox in December 2012.The Viaplay app is available immediately for download via Xbox LIVE.
Reebok-CCM partnering on impact-sensing flexible sports cap, hopes to improve real-time injury analysis
While the whack of two helmets might be an unavoidable part of some high intensity sports, knowing a little more about what's going on during those impacts can mean the difference between a time out, and time in hospital. Reebok-CCM Hockey and electronics firm MC10 have just announced that they are developing a wearable cap that will register the strength and severity of head impacts during games. The project is actually aimed at all sports and age-groups, and uses high-performance electronics reshaped into an ultra-thin, breathable, flexible system that technology partner, MC10, expects to also be much more affordable. The cap will allow quick analysis through the use of different colored readouts, illustrating the strength of impact. The product won't be commercially available until next year however, but we're already thinking of potential worthy collaborations.
Failing the NHL 13 academy
I love sports, but I know next to nothing about hockey. Maybe my lack of NHL love has something to do with my Wisconsin upbringing, a sort of "no-man's land" for professional hockey. The Milwaukee Admirals AHL team doesn't excite me, and picking between the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings is an uncomfortable proposition.My knowledge of the sport itself is even more limited. Aside from the terms "icing" and "line changes," hockey is alien to me. Joystiq recently ran an editorial discussing how simulation sports games don't do enough to assist people like me in learning the ropes in the sports they feature. To test that theory, I attempted to learn more about hockey through NHL 13.%Gallery-165522%
NHL 13 to feature Flyers' Giroux on cover
Claude Giroux was declared the winner of the NHL 13 cover vote, and was announced as the game's featured cover athlete earlier this week by EA Sports. The Philadelphia Flyers forward beat Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne to win the cover tournament.This was the first cover vote for the NHL series, which EA Sports said resulted in over 26 million votes. Unlike the Madden cover votes in the past, tournament voting was hosted directly on the league's website, underscoring the sense of value both the NHL and players have for the opportunity to grace the cover of the game.NHL 13 will launch September 11 in North America for Xbox 360 and PS3, and September 14 in Europe.
