I know, it’s only the pre-season and the Canucks have played pretty well for the past two pre-seasons amassing a record of 12-0-1. They bowed out of last year’s finals earlier than expected against the Chicago Blackhawks on some timely scoring from their young players including NHL 10 cover athlete Patrick Kane. And even though they’ve come so close in years passed and have yet to taste the nectar from Lord Stanley’s Cup, once again it feels like they have a team that can do just that.

On Monday night the team went up against their division rival the Calgary Flames who have been a story of their own this pre-season with the return of long-time Flame Theo Fleury looking to make a comeback after being away from the game for six years. I have to admit that it’s something that I love to see even though he was a menace to the Canucks over the years and someone I detested as an opponent. He played in your face, like a fly that would buzz around that you couldn’t catch. One of the quickest in the game during his peak who held many Flames’ scoring records, now held by teammate Jerome Iginla. I agree with Captain Canuck, Trevor Linden, and that even though he didn’t go out of the game the way he wanted, if he can make the team and play well, it would be great to see and great for Calgary fans.

For the complete blog and video challenge, check it out on the In the Crease blog:  FTW - Will the Canucks Contend for the Cup?

In preparation for tonight's Midnight Launch at the Robson and Granville Future Shop, former Canuck Trevor Linden got his hands on NHL 10 alongside Producer David Littman and some of the local press.

"I'm amazed with how authentic and lifelike the game plays.  It's been a couple of years since I've played the game and even with something like Sedin winning the face-off, it looks exactly how he really does it."

Linden, always a gentleman and great ambassador of the sport, received some pointers with Litty before going through the press gauntlet.  In between an interview with Electric Playground and the Canadian Press, I had time to play against him and ask a couple of my own questions.  In particular, I wanted to get his thoughts on Theo Fleury's return to the game at Calgary's training camp this past weekend.

"The way he went out wasn't the way he wanted to go out, so I think if it works out for him then that's great. I don't think he'll be breaking any records," he stated when asked about his potential. "but if he ends up playing I see the city of Calgary getting really excited about him returning."

Which lead, of course, to me asking him about returning to the Canucks lineup after being away for a year, "No way, no comeback" he said with a smile and a laugh.  "There might not be a lot of things I can guarantee, but that, would be one of them." 

With that, I went on to score the only goal of the period that we played and he was gracious enough to comment on how nice a goal it was.  "Luongo should've had that one," noting the goalie's failed attempt to backhand the puck out of the air.  "Nice goal."  Lou actually did deflect it, but it then went off of a defender near the crease and into the net...but I digress.

For those of you in the Vancouver area, get to the Future Shop on Granville and Robson early as Linden will be signing autographs from 9PM to 11PM.  Stick around until midnight and be first to grab a copy of NHL 10.  For those of you in Toronto, former Leaf Wendel Clark and current Leaf Matt Stajan will be at the Toronto Life Square Future Shop doing the same before midnight hits Eastern time.

September is one of my favourite months of the year, not only because I get a year older (or despite it, that is) but the presents I receive are usually in the form of one of my all-time favorite games, NHL 10.  This year NHL 10 hits the streets next week on Tuesday the 15th and for the first time we will be hosting a couple of midnight releases at Future Shops in Toronto and Vancouver.  With President Obama welcoming the Pens to the White House today and team prospects hitting the ice this week, it's officially time to think hockey.

Growing up in Vancouver I've been a fan of the Canucks since I was allowed as a kid to stay up late in '82 to watch their magical first run into the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders.  The series didn't go the way Canucks fans wanted it to, but it was a great run and a great year for the guys who wore the Flying V's.  At seven years old I was hooked on the game and the team, and over the years as the jerseys and the team changed, I longed for them to return to the finals for another chance at their first Cup.  

Then came '94 and that chance against the other New York team, the Rangers.  In a battle where players on both teams left it all on the ice, the series would go seven games and the Rangers would win the Cup by a goal.  One of the most memorable pictures is of the team's captain Trevor Linden leaning his head on goaltender Kirk McLean's mask after the loss.  It signified all the sweat and tears and eventual heartache that came with coming so close to capturing the holy grail of hockey. 

Back then while at UBC, my buddies and I relived the series looking for different outcomes on the SNES with NHL 95 and spent more hours playing the video game than I should have.  We'd set up tournaments and battle throughout the school year and I even remembered playing games to simulate what we thought would happen in games to come.  We didn't care that the game wasn't as authentic as it is today, we only cared that we could be play as our favorite team and feel the rush of scoring the game winner (most of the time with the dreaded one-timer goals).  We always wondered, "Could it get any better than this???"

Your damn right it could and next week the series that has received the Sports Game of the Year nod for the past two years isn't holding back with NHL 10.  The team followed up '09 with 3-on-3 NHL Arcade and still managed to put in over 200 gameplay improvements to kick it up a notch for this year's game.  The producers have been providing the community with regular blogs and videos and screenshots to whet gamers' appetites.  Even the demo was one like none other giving NHL fans new and old to the series a taste of the new Battle for the Cup and Be a Pro modes.

And so with Linden retired, there's time for him to take up gaming and what better game to do so than with NHL 10 where he can don the '94 uni's or, better yet, go old skool with the Flying V's in this year's game.  Recreate those Stanley Cup Finals and hope for a different outcome in the new Battle for the Cup mode which has been implemented into the game very nicely.  Or just jump into Season Mode and play with Luongo fresh off one of the most lucrative contracts ever for a Canuck (is Gillis a genius or what?).  A whole other blog there in itself but something that I may look into with some of my own players with the new Be a GM mode.

Like most hockey fans, I'm excited at this time of year as the release of the game next week means that the season is right around the corner.  Can this be the year my 'nucks go FTW and finally put it together?  Again, another blog for another time. 

Next week however, join Trevor Linden along with me and the game producers at Future Shop on Granville & Robson Monday night for the Midnight Release event.  Be first to pick up a copy and see if you have the stick skills to bring home the Cup yourself. And for those of you in Toronto (boooo! Lol), you can join other NHL producers along with former captain Wendel Clark and current Leaf Matt Stajan at the Toronto Life Square Future Shop.  It's time to go FTW with one of the Best Titles of The Year!

In case you haven't been following the blog, today the team released a few updates for FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 fans.  The game has been getting a lot play with gamers all around the world and even after receiving numerous accolades, it just keeps getting better.

First is the Title Update that includes a number of gameplay fixes, most notably, with body-spamming.  The devs have tweaked not only the default stamina slider, they have also adjusted the logic so punches become much less effective the more they are thrown in sequence.  What does that mean?  From what I've already read on the forums, you spammers out there are going to have to learn to box.  It's a welcome improvement to the game and one that our community has been asking for.

For the complete blog entry on the updates, check out Producer's Corner:  New Updates and New Demo Now Available

It's out there.  PlayStation 3 and XBOX Silver fans who have been listening to their XBOX Gold counterparts now have a chance to see what all the talk is about.  For the past week, gamers have been posting their impressions of the demo on the forums and on a whole, the game has put fans over the top with a game that has already received acclaim over the past two years.

The NHL 10 demo is a switch from your everyday demo and allows gamers to get into a couple of the new features with segments of Be a Pro and Battle for the Cup in the free download.

For the complete blog entry, check out the In the Crease blog:  LA Kings fans set to play full game while the NHL 10 Demo impresses