Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

[RaychelSnr]

It's always been a cool feature that EA includes leagues from around the world in the NHL series. Not only does it make the drafting and franchise process more accurate, but it gives a flavor for the different leagues, teams and players from the entire spectrum of professional hockey. Scouting in a franchise mode is properly realized since you can focus on various positions that are a strength of specific leagues. Rosters are also more complete, since some international players split their time between leagues in their home country and in the NHL — sometimes in the same season. Having all of these players means a better overall product.

To this end, it was a welcome addition when EA had the Russian Super League as a part of the NHL 09 product. It allowed for much more accurate rosters, and it was possible to track former NHL players who were looking for work across the pond. The RSL was a popular haven for journeyman NHL players and random pros, plus it was a meaningful talent pool for emerging stars several years back.


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[Cletus]

I wish they would add the ECHL before the KHL. The KHL would be nice for older NHL players, but the ECHL has american teams in cities that rarely saw hockey before the team was there, my city would be one instance. Plus, you could play in the ECHL as your Be A Pro, send fringe draftees down without taking a spot on the AHL squad or even rehab an injured player. With the way players develop a lot of draftees don't gain any attribute points in juniors and are scratched all all season at the AHL level. These guys would be perfect for the ECHL.

[Simple Mathematics]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

They will never add the KHL. The big-wigs over at the KHL think they're the best hockey league in the world. They would not "lower" themselves by putting their league in a game called NHL 14 or 15 or whatever. If they'd ever put their league in, they would require the game to be called something like NHL/KHL 14.

As for the ECHL, I agree, I'd like for this league along with the NCAA to make it into the game before the KHL. This means we could have more prospects, which is never a bad thing.

[Retropyro]

More and more i feel that the game (the sport, not the video game) would benefit greatly in the long run if it became more like pro soccer and how each of those leagues works with each other. The addition of a champions league between all the top clubs from each league would be great. A trade deadline on a global scale across leagues.
Ah well, pure fantasy.

[dlxsf18]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

More and more i feel that the game (the sport, not the video game) would benefit greatly in the long run if it became more like pro soccer and how each of those leagues works with each other. The addition of a champions league between all the top clubs from each league would be great. A trade deadline on a global scale across leagues.
Ah well, pure fantasy.

I don't know how I'd feel if one day in the future the NHL, KHL, and maybe other European leagues like the SM-LIGA or Elitserien were friends.

On one hand, the fans would benefit. Maybe there would be a Champions League type thing, which means even more meaningful games. Hockey could potentially expand from the popularity that this sort of thing would bring.

On the other hand, the executives AND fans, at least those of the NHL, would see harmful changes. This could definitely result in a lack of loyalty from European players. What would stop Datsyuk, or Malkin, or Ovechkin, from going to the KHL if there was one joint confederation of teams playing each other? What gets a young Nicklas Backstrom, or Erik Karlsson, or Lundqvist, to leave the Scandinavian leagues if all of a sudden the NHL wasn't the best place in the world to play anymore? As a stretch, you could even ask why someone like Stamkos would want to stay in Tampa if the Euro leagues came calling with a better contract and a city that makes hockey stars huge celebrities.

[Retropyro]

What's stopping them from doing it now? Look at Kovalchuk, he "retires" from the NHL and only days later signs with SKA Saint Petersburg. If anything, that stuff would no longer happen as retirement from a league that falls under that umbrella means a retirement from the game itself, not just quick way to ditch a contract and move to the league you want to go to.
If Stamkos was a free agent today, there is nothing stopping him from signing with any team in any league he wanted. Nothing on the front is any different.

[gopher_guy]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

Why would the NHL ever allow that to happen? Like someone else said, I think a lot of players would be more likely to go home and play in their home nation, because instead of the Stanley Cup being the holy grail of hockey, this "Champions League" trophy could become the new holy grail. Unlikely, but the NHL couldn't risk that and have the best players in the world leaving back to their respective countries.

If that happened, it would essentially just turn into "which country is best?". We already have that in the Olympic hockey tournament.

[ericromain]

Great write up.

I really hope the KHL gets added again. So many great players out there, and EA NHL is the only player in town. The euro leagues have taught me so much about their game just by exposing me to their uniforms and players, the same would happen for me and the KHL. I really wonder what the drivers are keeping the KHL out.

I am probably a bigger NCAA hockey fan than any other league, but i gotta admit the KHL belongs in this game more than any other. I really wish they'd make a IIHF thing happen.

[TeeKoo]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

I'd really like to see the KHL in EA's game in future. I think there are two issues: money and the name of the franchise. The money is been an issue also for the IIHF license and I really hope that in the future EA is willing to sacrifice some amount of dollars to get that license.

And for the name issue. If it is as been said that KHL won't agree to be in a game if it's under NHL name, EA should change the name of the franchise. EA hockey doesn't sound bad to me and if it' s the only way to get KHL in the game, I think that's the risk they'll have to take.

[Simple Mathematics]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

I'd really like to see the KHL in EA's game in future. I think there are two issues: money and the name of the franchise. The money is been an issue also for the IIHF license and I really hope that in the future EA is willing to sacrifice some amount of dollars to get that license.

And for the name issue. If it is as been said that KHL won't agree to be in a game if it's under NHL name, EA should change the name of the franchise. EA hockey doesn't sound bad to me and if it' s the only way to get KHL in the game, I think that's the risk they'll have to take.

I've never thought of this for some reason, but isn't it rather silly how we call this video game "NHL 14"? It has so many leagues in it. It would be like the FIFA series being called MLS 14. "NHL 14" should really be called EA Sports Hockey or something like that.

[13whitebread]

I say we have a summit series with the KHL vs. NHL

[dlxsf18]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

I say we have a summit series with the KHL vs. NHL

Who would become the modern day Esposito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKvB3Wnzgk

[GlennN]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

You mentioned that this would let us "track former NHL players who were looking for work across the pond." I would respectfully disagree. For me, the primary weakness of this series, and has been for years, is the inability to track any player's career. You can't see a player's full career stats anywhere, can't see teams played for, awards or cups won, etc. I would love to be able to track players, but, KHL or not, in the NHL series, you just can't track players . . . at all.

[Cletus]

Re: Will the KHL Ever Come to the NHL Series?

I say we have a summit series with the KHL vs. NHL

We had that last season in the Winnipeg Jets

[WildVikingFox]

You mentioned that this would let us "track former NHL players who were looking for work across the pond." I would respectfully disagree. For me, the primary weakness of this series, and has been for years, is the inability to track any player's career. You can't see a player's full career stats anywhere, can't see teams played for, awards or cups won, etc. I would love to be able to track players, but, KHL or not, in the NHL series, you just can't track players . . . at all.

This is my biggest problem with the series as well. It takes one right out of the game to not be able to see any info on the players' careers.

As for the topic at hand, I want to see the NCAA in before the KHL