Last year, EA graced us with what many consider to be the best, most realistic hockey sim of all time in NHL 08.  The improvements in control, presentation and online play over the 07 game were huge, vaulting EA's franchise over 2K's in terms of commercial and critical success.  This week, the demo for NHL 09 hit the Xbox 360, and while this year's improvements may not be nearly as significant as last year's, all indications show that we should be treated to an even more polished and realistic hockey experience.

As has become the tradition, the demo allows you to play a small part of a matchup between last year's Stanley Cup finalists: the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wing.  A five minute 3rd period is all you'll get to play, but there are two modes in which to play the matchup.  The first is a simple exhibition game.  As soon as the puck is dropped, the first thing you'll notice is how similar 08 looks to 07.  There are definitely some new animations and everything looks a little more crisp, but overall, the game looks nearly identical to last year's iteration.  This isn't a bad thing at all, though, since NHL 08 was such a good looking game.  The first gameplay tweak you'll notice is the heavily upgraded hitting mechanic.  Checking was a weak point for the 08 game, and the hits that, last year would have been described as "soft," "candy-assed" and "ineffectual," can now be more aptly summed up with words like "bone-shattering," "thunderous," and "devastating."  The difference is as huge as it is welcome.  The"Skill Stick" mechanics have been expanded as well, especially on defense.  You'll now have more control over your stick while defending, allowing players to poke check in any direction, and even lift shooters' sticks to stop one-timers.  Unless you're a seasoned 08 player, you probably won't even notice this upgrade, but for aficionados, the new additions to the defensive arsenal are fantastic.

In addition to the exhibition mode, you can also try out the new "Be A Pro" mode.  Once the game is released, this mode will essentially act as a hockey MMO.  You create your player, enter him into a draft, and play afull season controlling only that player.  It's a brilliant concept, and if the full version works as well as it does in the demo, we may be looking at one of the biggest innovations for sports games in the last few decades.  Playing your pro is no different than playing as a full team, except for a new, dynamic camera angle and the fact that you can't switch players.  It is a more intense, focused experience, and unlike the run and gun strategy that tends to dominate regular 5-on-5 online games, "Be A Pro" mode forces you to learn a thing or two about team hockey.  Any time you find yourself out of position, a blue arrow will appear to guide you back to whee you should be.  It's subtle, but it really helps make the game flow the way a hockey game should.

As great as the exhibition mode is, I'm far more excited about the "Be A Pro" mode.  If EA can provide reliable servers for the game, it could change not only hockey games, but the way we look at sports games in general.  It's an exciting time to be a hockey fan.  The September 9 release date can't come fast enough.

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