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Hey NHLGamers, Yesterday EA SPORTS released the fifth update for NHL 20. The biggest tweak as far as 6s goes appears to be the way in which goalies react to passes on net, hopefully meaning they will no longer get locked into a save animation whenever a pass goes near them now. Most of the other fixes will be more noticeable in the 1v1 modes but are indeed very important, such as how the CPU defensemen react to the so-called self-sauce and how the CPU defenseman reacts to odd-man rushes. For the full changelog, please see below. What are your thoughts on the update? Have you had the chance to test it - does it deliver? Let us know in the comments below!

Hey NHLGamers, Today, the 30th of January, EA SPORTS has released the fourth update for NHL 20. Based on the list of changes, there are quite a few fixes that the community has been asking for. The biggest change is most likely the tweak regarding how players will experience pickups from now on, with a greater emphasis being placed on players properly facing the puck to boost the chances of picking up passes. We should also not see those superhuman behind-the-back one-handed no-look interceptions from the opposing team. Additionally, defensive awareness has seen a buff, with balance whilst back skating being nerfed slightly. An important fix comes to the Xbox, as the goalie puck covering issue should now be resolved. Previously you might experience the goalie unable to cover the puck, turning into a poke check-fest in front of your net, eventually leading to the puck trickling in. This hasn't been much of an issue on the PS4, but Xbox players will be happy to get rid of this inconvenience as well. Last but not least, we'll mention the ability to skip the Play of the Period replays. Think of all those saved seconds adding up throughout the rest of your games of NHL 20! For the full changelog, please see below. What are your thoughts on the update? Have you had the chance to test it - does it deliver? Let us know in the comments below!

Hey NHLGamers, On the 25th of October EA released the second update for NHL 20. Like the content update that came almost a month prior, it appears as though EA are sticking to their guns so to speak and are trying their damnedest not to change the core gameplay as much as they can. As such, the bulk of this patch comes in the form of a bunch of miscellaneous additions, although that said there are some that should be highlighted. Perhaps the biggest addition for EASHL players would be the option which now allows players to change which camera they view when in the box or on the bench. For HUT players however, the biggest change would be the inclusion of the new mode 'HUT Rivals'. For players who are still yet to play HUT Rivals, a breakdown of what the mode looks to achieve as well as a rough guide to it will be available shortly - so stay tuned for that! Not mentioned in the patch log, but you should notice the PS4 version play more like the Xbox One version now. The difference is small, but you should notice it's a little bit easier to bump a player off his/her balance from smaller nudges. At least in theory, this should make defence a little easier around the net. For the full changelog, please see below. Is it better? Is it worse? Let us know your thoughts on the new content update in the comments below!

Hey NHLGamers, A new tuner & patch have been released. The changes of note (at least for EASHL) are the nerf towards a player's skating (acceleration, agility & speed) whilst backskating with the puck, some improvements towards blending of certain animations in the attempt to reduce the effectiveness of "shovel" style shots, a rise in the reliability of faceoff counters, as well as the network performance screen now correctly displaying your ping. Regarding the 'main' change (i.e. backskating), the tweaks that EA have made are described to be "subtle" in nature. So, it should not impact play too wildly in theory, although with that said, even a small adjustment to such a widely used mechanic will invariably lead to some pretty stark differences. The full changelog is as follows: Patch 1.55 Tuner 1.04 What does everyone think of the changes? Do you think the backskating nerf was something that needed to be done, or was it a necessary evil to give teams more options on attack? Please, feel free to post your thoughts below!

NHLGamers! We've gone three fourths of the way through the qualifiers of the Capitals Esports Face-Off. We're happy to announce that we will see plenty of European colours in the final event, as @Eki and @Eken45jr paved their way through in the first qualifier as we already wrote. It is also with great pleasure we bring the news that @MrNipsuli managed to make it through on the second qualifier weekend, the other finalist from that qualifier was Regs84. The third qualifier was played last weekend and unfortunately no European players made it through that time, but 3 out of 6 is a great record nonetheless. @PleeMaker has been a goal away for qualifying, and it seems like he won't be pursuing another run at this tournament as the Bolts Chel Challenge qualifiers are hosted simultaneously as the fourth qualifier next week. Confirmed Capitals Esports Face-Off Finalists: Eki eken45jr Regs84 MrNipsuli- THEY_SPEAK_OF_ME Cheez Whizzzzz A short recap of what the Capitals Esports Face-Off is all about: The Esports Face-Off is a versus tournament open to both EU and NA players on PS4. The tournament is played in a double elimination format alike the NHL GWC. Four online qualifiers will be organised prior to the final event. On top of competing for a $10,000 prize pool, the top 3 players will have the chance to attend the 2019 Chel Classic, representing the Washington Capitals in a 3vs3 showdown against the top 3 players of the Bolts Chel Challenge. The Capitals Esports Face-Off will continue as follows: February 2nd - Fourth Online Qualifier February 22nd - Final Event March 19th - 2019 Chel Classic More info and registrations over at https://smash.gg/tournament/capitals-esports-faceoff/details Congratulations to Eki, eken45jr and MrNipsuli- on behalf of all of NHLGamer! Your NHLGamer Editor, @jahajaha93

Hey NHLGamers, with NHL 19 approaching rapidly (EA Access trials on Xbox One will be opened up in just 5 days!), we have now received more insight into how all of the open beta feedback - including ours, thank you for submitting your opinions! - from the past few weeks was received. The following changes have been made for the full release of NHL 19: +++ NHL 19 Release Version (1.0.0) Gameplay Physics Fixes to physics tensions and joint limits Hip check improvements Improvements to stumble fall animations Various animation blend fixes during physics reactions Skating Improvements to stop animations and transitions from stop to stand Improvements to pivot direction consistency Various animation improvements Goalie Fixed a user goalie blend after passing the puck out Various fixes to saves where the pads were not flush to the ice Fixed a case where goalies would get stuck in free skate in Ones Fixed some known cases for users getting stuck in butterfly Poke Check Improvements to collision volumes to more accurately detect incidental stick on stick or stick on body contact Fixed some cases where the defensive player could contact the puck after their stick went through the puck carrier’s geometry Fixes to conditions where the blend out of a poke check was still causing trips Puck Pickups Fixed an issue to allow the player to pick up their own pass if it was blocked/deflected Improvements to interception balance based on player ratings Improvements to staying onside during pickups Various improvements to puck pickup animations Specializations Various fixes to specializations and traits General Improve player support to get to loose pucks Fixed various desyncs Protect puck stumble animations added Improvements to CPU behaviour on breakaways and shootouts Improve logic to prevent accidental manual RS Switching Various fixes to fighting and scrum alignment Fixes to faceoff alignment in World of CHEL Seen once the AI skater will remain idle behind the net Fixes to control hints in training camp Presentation Various fixes to overlays not clearing properly Improvements to multiplayer hugs Various camera fixes Fixes to cameras clipping with crowd and arena geometry Lighting and Material improvements/fixes. Player skin will now appear more accurate New cameras added for each of the venues within NHL Ones World of CHEL Fixed various desyncs when going into gameplay in 3v3 and 6v6 drop in Fixed various crashes in the Dressing Room while opening hockey bags Fixed various crashes while customizing in the dressing room while match making Fixed a soft lock in the post match up dressing room, when one user would open the loadout selection screen as the timer ran out +++ Furthermore, we have received a list of changes that did not make it in time for the disc release, but will be available as a day one update when you first start up NHL 19. +++ NHL 19 Day One Update (1.1.0) Gameplay General Disabled various player interactions (fights, scrums, instigations) during Ones To compliment the fix to the bug that allowed you to win a forehand draw while using the backhand grip we made some faceoff balance changes Backhand stick lift now beats the tieup Forehand stick lift now beats the Backhand stick lift Removed broken sticks from online modes Fixed cases where CPU players were still taking penalties in non player locked online games Goalies Improvements to AI goalies from sharp angles Poke Checking Fixed cases where poke checks were tripping a player after getting puck first Fixes to accuracy of poke checks on stationary/slow moving loose pucks Fixed a case where players were not being tripped after consecutive pokes Various additional poke check targeting fixes Uniforms NHL Anaheim Ducks 3rd Uniform EBEL EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz Red Bull Salzburg Home and Away Vienna Capitals Home and Away Stadium Updates Updated scoreboard in the Prudential Center World of CHEL The game now defaults to preset home and away tops in 6v6 instead of user assigned casual tops. This resolves visual confusion during gameplay. Various changes to customization items for better in-game readability Fixed an issue where gameplay assets were being rendered in the main menu Fixed a case where the game would frequently hang when going into a 6v6 game of drop in Fixed rare crashes when rolling over to the dressing room after a match Fixed a rare crash in the post game screen due to Voip conflicts. Fixed a rare desync at the puck drop in Ones Fixed various issues where the game would crash when moving from one mode to another +++ What stands out most in our opinion are the changes applied to faceoffs as well as pokechecks. Even though a lot of players have been asking for the backhand-to-forehand switch to return, it is not coming back, and instead we are seeing adjustments to the 'rock papers scissors' mechanic as backhand sticklifts now beat the tie-up, and backhand sticklifts can be countered with forehand sticklifts. Furthermore, we are seeing another increase in punishing bad pokechecks by fixing rare occasions where a stick going through a skater's body did not result in a trip, while at the same time pokecheck targeting seems to have been improved. We expect these changes to reward good defensive positioning even further, now that the RNG aspect has been toned down. What do you think of the changelogs above? Did EA SPORTS meet your expectations? @gzell60

Well, well, well... There's been lots of talk about how the NHL series lacks the "Weekend League" game mode the FIFA series is blessed with. As of today, your prayers appears to have been answered with the brand-new introduction of HUT Champions. HUT Champions will be a high-stakes, high-rewards mode for those looking to play HUT on a whole different competitive level. What? HUT Champions is the NHL equivalent of FIFA Weekend League. It is esentially a "hardcore mode", where you play the best opponents in a tight timeframe. The objective is to accumulate as many wins as possible within the given time frame and restrictions. Wins earn the player points which in turn will lead to higher rankings. Rewards are given at the end of the season based on the leaderboard standings. When? The first season of HUT Champions will go live today, February 16th at 2:00 PM PT. The week will hold three qualifiers on February 16th, 20th and 22nd. The champions weekend itself will take place on February 23rd 2:00 PM PT until February 25th 2:00 PM PT. Results will be processed by February 27th. How? Qualification for this special league requires possessing a HUT Champions Season 1 Qualification Collectible, which can be obtained by earning a Div 1 title in online seasons between Friday February 16 2:00 PM PT and Friday February 23 2:00 PM PT. The other option is placing within the top 1250 in one of the HUT Champions Season 1 Qualifiers. Rewards Rank 1: 99 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 250,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 2: 98 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 200,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 3: 97 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 150,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 4: 96 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 100,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 5: 96 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 50,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 6-10: Choice Pack with a choice of 2 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 4 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 11-20: Choice Pack with a choice of 2 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 3 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 21-50: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 2 Ultimate Packs, 1 Rare Players Plus Pack, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 51-100: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 2 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 101-250: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 1 Ultimate Pack, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 251-500: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 1 Ultimate Pack Ranks 501+: 1 Ultimate Pack HUT has been the topic of some controversy this year in regards to the card market and such, but this is certainly a welcome addition. HUT Champions adds a new level of competitiveness to the game. It remains to be seen how the mode will be welcomed in the NHL community. On the FIFA side of things, Eurogamer.net have previously reported on the brutality of the Weekend League, as players were grinding out 40 games a weekend, meaning closer to 20 hours of gameplay in a single weekend. In HUT Champions, the minimum amount of games to receive a rank is 5, which is a relief, for those familiar with the 20 game minimum in FIFA. The maximum will be 40, just like in the FIFA Weekend League. The first qualification round is only a few hours away at the moment of writing this. What do you think about this new way to play HUT? Will you be participating? Let us know in the comments below.

Hey NHLGamers, When you start your game today, you might notice that there's a new patch. There isn't that much information about it, just the note "General stability and bug improvements". What could this mean? Well, we can simply speculate at this point, but there are a couple annoying things that have been happening in the game lately: At times, the game would get stuck in a weird camera angle with the frame being stuck, while you can only hear the game audio: Quite often, during an online game the game would jump back to an earlier faceoff, sometimes resulting in the loss of an already scored goal. We certainly hope the above two have been fixed with this patch and that we won't suffer from these problems again. According to the buzz in several Facebook groups at the moment, the so called "slider glitch" has been fixed now, so you're not able to make the HUT challenges super easy anymore. How are you finding the patch? Are the above mentioned things gone? Let us know in the comments below. Below you can find the Patch 2 notes and in case you missed it earlier, the notes about what Gameplay Tuner 1.01 actually did: Source: https://forums.ea.com/en/nhl/discussion/146691/nhl-18-patch-tuner-notes#latest