NHL 06 PS2 Online

I have to go back to 1994 when I played this fantastic vintage on PC. What made it all the more fun was the ability to create leagues. Each player could take a 1.44" diskette home and play those of the 82 games where the opponent was computer controlled. The other games were played face-to-face. Great fun.

With the PS2 online, I was hoping that I was able to once more enjoy the fun of a full NHL series played. I guess my presence at the Washington-Detroit game in D.C. last year had motivated me slightly.

All set up last night, I tried a random online opponent for an exhibition game: 1-7 loss! A couple of offline games made my fingers memorize the control buttons. Going online again, I tried to find the league option. Well, there was none. Basically, only exhibition games and short tournaments were available. Strange, since the lobbies are set up with advanced EA messenger systems very able to handle advanced player interactions neccessary.

Looking for a quick game, the logging of one player's career makes it hard for a newbie to get a game. With a 0/1 stat I tried for 30 minutes to find an opponent. No luck. I guess that on a Sunday night, better opponents are available.

After all, I wonder how long I will find exhibition games exiting. With SOCOM 3 and Pro Evolution Soccer in the mail from Play.com I think NHL 06 will be archived pretty soon.