NHL
Latest
NHL Hockey finally comes to the Wii
NHL for the Wii? All we can say is, it's about damn time.Sure we've had football, baseball, soccer, and even tennis grace our precious white consoles, but hockey has been sorely missing from the group -- unless you count Ice Hockey and Kidz Sports Ice Hockey, which we don't. Finally, 2K Sports has stepped up and is bringing NHL 2K9 to the Wii. We don't know much about the game, except that it's coming, which is enough for us at the moment. Oh, and it will utilize the Wii's motion controls, in case you had any doubts.[Via press release]
Blue Jackets' Nash to front NHL 2K9
Sure he and his team may have missed the playoffs yet again and are likely fantasizing about what might have been while swinging at balls from the back nine, but that hasn't stopped Columbus Blue Jackets' young-yet-impressive captain Rick Nash from scoring cover duty on Take Two's fall release of NHL 2K9. Also worthy of note from 2K is that developer Visual Concepts has "taken over" development duties for this latest game in the franchise -- as opposed we assume to working in tandem with fellow studio Kush Games -- and that the devs are rebuilding the title "from the ground up."Not to take anything away from three-time All Star Nash, but it's still an odd choice, at least by team standings, given the Blue Jackets' once again abysmal campaign during the 2007-08 regular season that saw the fledgling team rank near the bottom of both the Western Conference and overall league in points. However, perhaps those who make these kinds of decisions are hoping this is the sort of voodoo that will turn Ohio's NHL franchise around -- sort of like a reverse Madden curse.
Hockey will be saved by HDTV?
Sure Sidney Crosby's Penguins just went up 3-0 in a playoff series against the Flyers, but the National Post suggests HDTV might give a bigger boost to the sport of hockey than either he or Alexander Ovechkin can. Courtesy of an expanded widescreen format that gives a better look at the ice and enhanced resolution allowing viewers to finally discern the puck without annoying FoxTrax graphics. While we've always found being able to see what's going on as a plus, we're not sure high definition alone will move hockey, soccer, arena football or any other hopefuls closer to the big three in American's sports consciousness.
Microsoft, Companions in Courage partner to bring Xbox Live to children's hospitals
With all of the continual media controversy over violent video games and their negative impact on society, it's refreshing to see these same games in a positive light every now and then. This is especially true when games are used to lift the spirits of hospitalized children, something we've seen in efforts like Child's Play and the Get-Well-Gamers Foundation. Now, Microsoft has become the latest gaming organization to follow its moral compass, inking a partnership with NHL legend Pat LaFontaine's nonprofit Companions in Courage to bring 450 Xbox 360 game kiosks to children's hospitals in the US.The kiosks will come pre-loaded with select games, movies and television content, and will allow children to play games and chat with each other across a private "safety-enhanced" flavor of Xbox Live. The kiosks will be rolled out in waves, with the first wave being kicked off with three simultaneous events today at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California, and the Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle, the latter of which will feature a presentation by Microsoft exec Robbie Bach.
TWC New York fast-tracks Versus / Golf HD in time for NHL playoffs
Check it: Time Warner Cable has seemingly inserted Versus / Golf HD into the lineup some 20 days prior than expected, presumably to satisfy demands of avid hockey fans wanting their NHL playoffs in high-definition. We've had numerous reports from varying regions in the Empire State affirming that the channel is now live on slot 794, but be sure and drop a note in comments if you've somehow been left out. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
NHL chooses Bell ExpressVu HD PVR for video replay during playoffs
Shortly after Sharp's AQUOS HD Netcam took the ice in a Rangers / Devils matchup, the National Hockey League has announced that it will be utilizing a certain carrier's own HD PVR for instant replays during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. Apparently Bell Canada's dual-tuner 9242 -- which can hold up to 30 hours of HD / 200 hours of SD content -- will be used throughout the playoffs in order to view instant video replays, but details beyond that are scant. High-def aficionados up north who'd like to get ahold of the same box being used by the NHL can procure one for a stiff $599 (one-time fee) or rent one for $20 per month.
Sharp's AQUOS HD Netcam makes NHL debut
We were already well aware that TSN and HD were like BFFs, but now hockey fans have yet another reason to tune in to NHL games aired on the network. Starting with tonight's tilt between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, TSN viewers will get a look at the netminder's territory like never before. Tonight marks the debut of Sharp's AQUOS HD Netcam, which is being hailed as the first ever netcam to be used with high-def capabilities. Of course, the remainder of TSN's regular season and playoff broadcasts will take advantage of said camera, and if you're one to call goals into question due to SD replays of the puck crossing / not crossing the line, we suppose your skepticism is about to take a real hit.[Image courtesy of USA Today]
NHL Live HD simulcast now on NHL Network
Fans of NHL Live should know the noon broadcast is now on TV, straight from the studios in New York to NHL Network. Hopefully, hosts Don La Greca and E.J. Hradek have their HD makeup ready for the spotlight, since theirs is the first satellite radio program to make the jump to HDTV. Faces made for radio or not, we figure they've got to be better than listening to the skinny Mike (from Mike & Mike on ESPN) go on and on about his hair.
iTunes Canada gets NHL and TV downloads
Apple just confirmed that rumor floating around the last few days: Canada's top television programs, a few from the US, and the NHL are now available from Canadian iTunes. Downloadables include CBC's "Little Mosque on the Prairie," "South Park," and NHL Games of the Year. Each is available for CAN$1.99 which is something like 20 US pesos.
Dish Network adds NHL HD to their lineup
Just in time for another season, Dish Network adds the National Hockey League Network to their always-growing HD lineup. NHL HD will sport 50 live regular-season games, classic games, documentaries, and how-to shows; we're wondering how much of the extra features will be in high-def however. The station is already live on channel 403 and 559 for subs with America's Top 100 package or the NHL Center Ice subscription respectively. This new station should calm rabid Hockey fans but they do hold Hockey's dirty, little high-def secret: the sport is, arguably, the best looking programming in high definition.
NHL Network prepares for US launch
It's a fantastic, albeit hectic time to be a sports fan right now, as there just seems to be too many good matchups going on to truly enjoy them all. Additionally, the NHL season is just now getting underway, and for those who eat, sleep and breath cross-checking, we've got stellar news. Reportedly, the 24-hour NHL Network will launch on several communications outlets this month, including Comcast, DirectTV and Dish Network. All told, it should be available to around 75 million homes across the US, but exact launch dates on the aforementioned carriers have yet to be pinpointed. Notably, Dish Network stated that it was targeting October 17th as the channel's first on-air date, and a spokesperson even mentioned that it would "only be available in high-definition." Hey, it won't hurt our feelings.
Cablevision picks up Versus, Golf Channel in HD
Following directly in the footsteps of Comcast, it looks like Cablevision has become the next carrier to add Versus HD and Golf Channel HD to its high-definition lineup. Additionally, the deal moves Golf from Cablevision's $4.95-per-month sports tier package to its iO digital lineup. Interestingly, the company's CEO even mentioned that a whopping "80-percent of its cable subscribers were embracing digital television," but neglected to mention the concentration of paying HD customers. So while hockey may be a good ways off at this point, the Cablevision golfers in the crowd will have a lot to look at in the upcoming months.
RIM's Jim Balsillie to buy Nashville Predators
RIM's doing just fine thanks to a host of new models, but the same can't be said for its embattled CEO. First he loses his bid to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins, then he loses his chairmanship -- but things might just be turning around for Jim Balsillie. Word on the street is that Nashiville Predators owner Craig Leipold has turned the keys to the club over to Balsillie with an official announcement scheduled for tomorrow. Though there's a guarantee in place that the Predators will stick around for the next season, RIM's hometown has been pining after an NHL franchise for some time. Could this be the Predators' swan song in Nashville? Will the state of Tennessee write off BlackBerrys as evil devices for ever and ever? Only time'll tell.[Thanks, Boy Genius]
Play NHL 2K7, go the the Stanley Cup playoffs
Canadian residents and professional NHL 2K7 gamers, listen up. You have a chance to win a trip to Canada's mecca of all sporting events ... the Stanley Cup playoffs. To win, you'll have to be a skilled NHL 2K7 player and have luck on your side. Starting March 11th in Montreal and running through April 8th, various EB Games locations will be holding NHL 2K7 tournaments where the winner from each store will be entered into the grand prize drawing. Full list of EB Games stores and dates are listed after the jump. Brush up on your hockey skills and sign up, because you have a religious sports journey to embark upon where winner takes all. [Thanks, DjDATZ]
RIM exec picks up hockey club
What's a surefire sign that your company has survived scandal, moving on to become one of the predominant players in wireless communications, enterprise messaging, and hot phones with trackballs? Your CEO buys a sports franchise, that's what. In what can only be described as a proudly Canadian thing to do, Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM CEO Jim Balsillie recently scooped up the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins for a cool $175 million from previous owner Mario Lemieux and pals. Though Balsillie and the NHL sound committed to keeping the team in Pittsburgh, it seems fitting that Hamilton, Ontario -- not too far from RIM's Waterloo -- is in search of an NHL franchise itself. We'll try not to get too wrapped up in the conspiracy theories, though; Balsillie's folks back at the RIM camp make enough on-topic news without us branching into the wide world of sports.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Where is HDNet on Comcast?
Mark Cuban's high-def network, HDNet, cannot be found on Comcast and with hockey season right around the corner, many fans want the network not because of the Hogan's Hero's reruns but the 52 high-def hockey games they are going to broadcast this year. Comcast owns the NHL high-def broadcast rights and you would think that they would want to provide their subscribers with the most possible high-def NHL content but it all boils down to one thing: money. Comcast is blaming subscribers by stating that they don't want to watch HDNet and plus, the station is very expensive. We highly doubt that Comcast subscribers would not want to watch the station as the vast majority of HDTV owners would agree that there is a dearth of programming on their current high-def stations and we will take anything we can get. Hogan's Hero's, hockey, anything HDNet can add to the good of the HD cause would be greatly appreciated. Mr. HDNet himself, Mark Cuban, was contacted and he said that they are trying to get a deal on the table but it's going to take the subscribers saying they want the NHL in HD via HDNet. Can you hear that in the distance? That's the grassroots stating to organize into a movement.
NHL 07 benched on Nintendo platforms
Last week, when EA announced that the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin would be NHL 07's cover athlete, many fans were surprised to see that Nintendo was absent from the list of platforms* that would receive the game. Nintendojo recently contacted EA to verify the platform release list. As it turns out, NHL 07 will not be released for GameCube -- or for that matter, Wii. Currently, 2K Sports' NHL 2K7 is not scheduled for release on GameCube either. Electronic Arts publicist Jen Riley did make it a point to remind Nintendojo, "Many of our other games are continuing to support DS ... and we hope to be on Wii in the future." *NHL 07 will be available for PC, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Note that PlayStation 3 is also absent from the list.
NHL HDTV backlash
The NHL Stanley Cup finals had an exciting series and a nice high-def broadcast, so everybody's happy right? Wrong. Once again, some SDTV holdout is ranting about how HDTV is ruining the game. The source of his complaint? At some point in Game 6, they couldn't locate the culprit when an extra man on the ice penalty was called. The announcer said later that "'I've just been told if you have HD (High Definition Television) you would be able to see the (extra) man going off the ice". As a result the writer gets all up in arms about how people without HDTVs are being called poor slobs, and worse , that the integrity of sport has been compromised because god forbid, there might be a moment where no camera angle shows every single player on the ice.We're not sure why he has a problem with widescreen aspect ratio and increased resolution helping you to see a bit more of the ice than you otherwise could (isn't that the point?), not to mention that the announcer was probably joking. NFL officials last we heard were considering high definition instant replay, but until now have been restricted to SD so his concerns about a difference in quality in game officiating appear to be unfounded. Too bad high definition wasn't there to compromise the integrity of the game during the '66 World Cup
NHL highlights in the iTunes Music Store
Way back in January I blogged that the NHL was close to making a deal with Apple, and it would seem the deal has been done. As of yesterday you can buy (for $1.99 each) 20 minute highlight clips of both the Eastern and Western conference Stanley Cup final games. I can only assume that the Stanley Cup games will be available as well.
HDTV Listings for May 7, 2006
What we're watching: NBA Playoffs second round matchups are finally upon us. Spurs vs. Mavericks is going on now while the Pistons take on Lebron & the Cavaliers at 3:30 on ABC. NHL Playoffs have hit round dos as well with Anaheim and Colorado dropping the puck at 3 on NBC. Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy continue their usual Sunday night scheduling but we'll probably catch Team America: World Police on Showtime.No NASCAR, Malcolm or War at Home today for Fox so no HD whatsoever. Why can't we get 720p King of the Hill?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
