NHL hockey's not only back on TV, but also in the video game world, and with a vengeance with EA Sports' NHL 06. I am proud to say, not only as a gamer, but also as a major fan, that this game is a major improvement from last year's NHL 2005. NHL 2005 was a major disappointment to me, as it took a step down from NHL 2004 in game-play and control. They even took away the Create-A-Player feature too.

The game features several play modes such as exhibition, regular season, dynasty, world tournament and EA Sports' Free-For-All.  Fans will also love that it's updated with all the latest rosters from the craziest free agent frenzy signings this past summer, minus the rookies though. So if you want to have rookie stars such as Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, Calgary's Dion Phaneuf or hyped phenom Sidney Crosby, you can download those and the latest updated rosters online via EA Sports' Online area for PS2 and X-Box versions.

On the topic of rosters, the minor hole in the game, which I find frustrating, is that when you try to trade players in Season or Dynasty Mode, is that it won't allow to trade one player for nothing, that you must trade a player for a player. Also, there's not Free Agent or Waivers section where you can drop your players to there.

The game-play is amazing, and it keeps getting better almost every year, as EA continues to make the game more realistic, and less like an arcade-like hockey game style. The controls are superb, as it introduces the new "Skill Stick", where you MANUALLY control your stick and the puck using your analog sticks. The skating and speed of the players are more smooth and fluid compared to previous versions of the game. The AI is a little better, but not super great. The goalie and offensive AI's a little more smarter, but it seems the defensive AI has took a step back.

The Create-A-Player feature is back in NHL 06, and much much better than ever. You get to customize your player almost exactly how you want him to look like, by rendering the shape and size of his face and facial features such as ears, eyes, head, nose, lips, chin, hair and eye brows. You can even select the brand of equipment too from CCM to Nike. No Reebok unfortunately, due to the fact that EA doesn't own the rights to have Reebok in the game.

Speaking of customizing players, a new feature included in the game is the Player Editor, where you get to edit current NHL players, by editing their skill levels, and for goalies, their equipment and masks.

As a bonus, NHL 06 goes back in time and includes a bonus game of their mega-hit classic, NHL '94.The game is playable and is exactly how we all remember it with the old 16 bit Sega Genesis graphics, with the blue ice and the simple buttons of pass, shoot and hit and the music too. The game even features original teams that were around the time of 94 such as the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche), Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes) and the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes).

NHL 06 also features a great soundtrack of menu music of great rock songs to get you all pumped up for the game, much better than NHL 2005's soundtrack. NHL 06 features artists such as OK Go, Fall Out Boy, American Head Charge and Billy Talent. The audio commentary is way way better than ever, as once again Jim Hughson does the commentary again, with current Edmonton Oilers' assistant coach Craig Simpson, doing the play-by-play analysis. The commentary is much better because, the commentary is not so repetitive like in previous versions, as they say more things, and even comments about certain players too and they announce BOTH the first and last names of the players, and sometimes a small comment about them, I.E.) "to Mike Modano, who was drafted by Minnesota in 1988".

Overall, if you're going to choose from other hockey video games on the market such as NHL 2K6, Gretzky 06 or NHL 06, NHL 06 stands out of them all. Hockey's back as well as EA Sports' NHL hockey.