NHL 11 Adds Canadian Hockey League Teams

May 24, 2010 11:00 AM

The sixty teams and three leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)--the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)--will be included in EA SPORTS' NHL franchise for the first time in the company's upcoming NHL 11, EA SPORTS and the CHL have revealed.

The inclusion stems from a new four-year agreement between Electronic Arts and the League, and will see all WHL, OHL and QMJHL teams and players in the game alongside their associated logos, league structures and the Mastercard Memorial Cup.

"It's exciting to have the CHL integrated into our game for the first time," EA SPORTS marketing VP Jordan Edelstein noted in the announcement. "Their inclusion will make NHL 11 the most definitive and complete hockey experience available."

Helmed by series veterans EA Canada, NHL 11 is due out on PlayStaiton 3 and Xbox 360 come September 2010 and will be among the various titles to utilize the company's new "Online Pass" initiative, which sees online multipayer restricted to those that either buy the game new, pay an additional $10, or take advantage of a free seven-day trial.

Meanwhile, competitor 2K Sports will only release its rival NHL 2K franchise on Wii this year, though the series will return to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011 with NHL 2K12.

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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threeup

 reply
May 24, 2010 11:19 AM

If this is one of their major reasons to rebuy this iteration, then I wont be buying this iteration. I just dont care enough about junior hockey.
- [deleted] 1663222480
  
   reply
  May 24, 2010 11:22 AM
  
  [deleted]
  - threeup
    
     reply
    May 24, 2010 11:32 AM
    
    so its just one level beyond the original system of AHL->NHL does tearing it up against 18 year olds make the game better? To me its not "new" its just more non-NHLers
    - WilliamDecker
      
       reply
      May 24, 2010 8:02 PM
      
      Some of us are big minor hockey fans. Sure you think Subban might be awesome now, but others have been watching him for a lot longer.
      
      Tavares, Stamkos, etc etc etc...
      
      I live in Southern Ontario as well...watching young exciting rising stars for $15 a ticket is pretty awesome :) Playing as them in an NHL game...entertaining as well.