Last year EA introduced Online Team Play (OTP) into NHL '08 which allowed multiple users to play on a team against other users. This year EA is expanding on that: ow all six positions are playable by human players for full 6v6 action. Except, you are going to play as you, a created player. Instead of whizzing around in the skates of a pro your name will be on the back of your jersey and you will level up your character. You can join teams with the goal of your team winning the EA Cup.
EA SPORTS Hockey League--Jump into the EA SPORTS Hockey League and become part of the first console sports MMO. Take your created player online and join a team with friends, or scout for players. Featuring 6 vs. 6 online team play, the ability to level up your player, tournament brackets, and awards at the end of every season - you can become the first great name in videogame hockey.
Since NHL 09 features six on and six online leagues and the new be a pro mode, it only makes sense that they combine the two to create the first quality sports MMO Title right? With the EA Sports Hockey League, this holy grail of sports games is about to be achieved. The league allows you and your fellow puckheads to join a team or "guild" in nerdspeak, of up to 50 people and compete for the world championship. As with the be a pro mode, you will create your player, choose his playing style, and start with a basic set of attributes. Then you can set up a team, choosing your name, jerseys, (from the pool of NHL, AHL, and euro league options, along with a few custom jerseys) and invite friends to the squad. Only 6 players from a team can compete in any given game, but you have another 6 players from your team online, they can start a game representing your organization. The competition is broken up by skill based divisions, which you can clib by improving your team's winning percentage. If your club is struggling, relegation is a possibility. After a yet to be determined deadline, EA will take a snapshot of the league standings and select the top teams from the best division to compete in the playoffs for the cup. The winning teams and star players will receive big prizes from EA, which have yet to be revealed.
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