Hey guys. This is Gurn Sumal, one of the producers on NHL 11 and I’m going to be doing a weekly blog for the next month about the goalie equipment in our game. Like many of you, I am a HUGE gear guy. Luckily, our artists are big gear guys as well which means we’re able to squeeze in a few extra sets of equipment. Being a goalie myself, I made it a priority to implement as many sets of equipment as possible and so this year we have a total of 32 different sets in the game. If you’re wondering how we’re able to put this much equipment in for the goalies as compared to what we put in for skaters, it’s all based on memory used in game. For goalies, there are only ever four goalies in the rink at any one time as opposed to 36 different skaters. We have to account for every single skater and goalie potentially having a different piece of equipment, which can add up quickly. The more equipment we have to load, the longer our load times are and once in the game it will affect the framerate. Not to mention, when you play online and all the equipment information has to be shared so everyone is seeing the same thing. Back to the gear, one of the biggest changes to the goalie equipment this year is that we’ve increased the amount of recolorable zones to nine (for sets that are complex). This also includes the older equipment that has been in the game in previous years like the Bauer X: 60 or the Vaughn V3 sets. Even with 9 zones some of the equipment may still be a little off due to the sheer amount of customization that a specific set may have but we’ve tried to make it as close to real life as possible. So why not add more zones for more authenticity? See the paragraph above on load times, memory and framerate! So with all that being said, let’s get to the good stuff and talk about the sets that are in the game. This week I will be starting with the Vaughn goalie sets, as Vaughn is one of the more popular goalie brands around. Vaughn has a total of 8 sets in the game which are: • V3’s (Updated to support Tribal Graphics) • V4’s (Supports Tribal Graphics) • Epics • SLW’s • Velocity icebergs (new design) • 7700’s (Price Graphics) • Pulse(Updated to support Top “pulses” to be colored) • Velocity(updated to support Michael Neuvirth’s Set) Nicklas Backstrom of the Minnesota wild in his V3 pads Steve Mason in his V4’s Habs goalie Carey Price in his all White EPICS Calder Finalist Jimmy Howard in his Icebergs My favorite set up of the bunch, Kari Lehtonen in his SLW’s (His Atlanta set was better ) Two time Calder Cup winner Michal Neuvirth in his Vaughn Velocity pads Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes in his Half Pulse half Epic set up Tyler Plante of the Amerks in his Vaughn Pulse set up Hope you enjoyed the 1st edition of my gear blog that will be running until the game launches. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages for your latest NHL 11 news and videos. -Gurn

With the shortest break in sports between the end of one season and the beginning of the next, it won’t be long now until arenas around the NHL begin to entertain fans with another exciting season of hockey action.  And what better way to give people that rush of on-ice adrenalin than with the NHL 11 and NHL SLAPSHOT soundtracks that truly bring home the NHL experience. “This year, its all about authenticity,” says Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “We talked to gamers and fans about what kind of music they wanted in this new edition, and they said they wanted the feel of a live NHL experience. So we’ve brought together the classic arena anthems by Pantera, Ramones, Black Box and others, and combined them with the next generation of hard-hitters by The Black Keys, Bullet For My Valentine, Danko Jones and more. This is the true sound of the NHL, and the undeniable power behind EA’s NHL 11.” Here’s the full list of tracks that will be on NHL 11 with 11 of these making it into the NHL SLAPSHOT soundtrack as well listed by artist, song, and album. NHL 11 In Whispers – Here I Stand Airbourne – Bottom Of The Well – No Guts.  No Glory. Bullet For My Valentine – Your Betrayal – Fever Megadeth – Dialectic Chaos – Endgame Pantera – Walk – Vulgar Display Of Power NHL 11 and NHL SLAPSHOT Danko Jones – Full of Regret – Below The Belt 2 Unlimited – Twilight Zone – Get Ready! Black Box – Strike It Up – Dreamland Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Mama Taught Me Better – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo Bouncing Souls – ¡Olé! – Hopeless Romantic Darude – Sandstorm – Before The Storm Dropkick Murphys – Shipping Up To Boston (Live) – Live On Lansdowne, Boston MA Europe – The Final Countdown – The Final Countdown Foxy Shazam – Unstoppable – Foxy Shazam Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones The Black Keys – Howlin’ For You – Brothers

Game Info Celebrating its 20th year, the franchise that captured 22 ‘Sports Game of the Year’ awards has raised the bar yet again with NHL 11. Powered by an all-new Real-Time Physics Engine, NHL 11 lets you create highlight reel moments as you experience adrenaline-pumping NHL action with bigger hits, broken sticks, and faster dangles. Whether you’re beginning your career in the Canadian Hockey League, dominating rivals in the EA SPORTS Hockey League, or assembling Hockey’s Ultimate Team, any moment can be a ‘WOW’ moment with NHL 11. Overview

• Revolutionary Real-Time Physics Engine—Pioneering the next step forward in team sports video game realism, the all-new Real-Time Physics Engine brings real-world highlight reel moments in-game like never before. From face-offs to body checks, real-world puck and player physics trigger true-to-life reactions. Now anything can happen, including the ability to shoot and make plays while lying on the ice.
• More than 200 Gameplay Enhancements—An all-new faceoff system, quick dekes, the new Hit Stick, and hip checks are just some of the many gameplay improvements that make NHL11 the most authentic hockey video game experience to date.
• All-New Broken Sticks—Broken sticks now affect the action in more ways than one. After snapping your stick on a wicked slapshot or having it broken in two from a hit, the play is never dead. Kick the puck to your teammate or have your teammate pass you his stick if you can’t make it to the bench to get a new one.
• Be a Pro Enhanced—For the first time ever, begin your career playing for the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup. Playing with and against licensed CHL players from the Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Ontario Hockey League, experience both highs and lows of junior league hockey action. Get scouted, enter the NHL entry draft, and see if you can become the greatest player of all time.
• All-New EASHL Dynasties—The EA SPORTS Hockey League takes online play to the next level as championship seasons are awarded with banner-raising ceremonies and new user celebrations that allow you to rub it in the faces of your biggest rivals. Prep your team for their playoff run with an all-new Practice mode.