While not every year may have provided NHL hockey – see half of 1994-95 and all of 2004-05 – the past 20+ years have at least presented us with some very solid hockey video games. Next month NHL 13, the 21st installment of the remarkable EA NHL series, will be available for purchase. Yahoo! Sports recently released the new game rankings for players from all 30 teams, and as expected with each season’s iteration a few alterations have been implemented.
From the game’s Wikipedia page:
In NHL 12, each player’s overall rating is based on that player’s role in the team (playmaker, enforcer, defensive defenceman etc). In NHL 13, however, the player’s overall rating is based on that player’s skill in their position (i.e. forward, defenceman, or goaltender). For example, in NHL 12, George Parros (at that time playing for the Anaheim Ducks) was rated 81 overall (out of 99) based on his role as an enforcer. In NHL 13, Parros’ overall rating has been lowered down to 69 as determined by his skill as a forward. EA Sports stated that this was “a fan-requested change”. Based on their attribute values, the players are now also given 5-star ratings for these six categories: shooting, puck skills, senses, skating, physical, and defense. Further, the teams’ overall ratings for offense, defense and goaltending are now also five-star based ratings instead of out-of-100 ones.
Read on after the jump to see how your favorite Panthers are ranked at their respective positions in EA NHL 13…
| Centers | NHL 12 Rating | NHL 13 Rating |
| Stephen Weiss | 85 | 83 |
| Marcel Goc | 81 | 79 |
| Scottie Upshall | 82 | 79 |
| Shawn Matthias | 78 | 76 |
| Casey Wellman | 74 | 74 |
Not a surprise to see Weiss on top and Goc right after, but Upshall was listed as a right wing in ’12, and to my knowledge was primarily utilized as a winger in his 26 appearances. Apparently NHL 13 believes Mike Santorelli won’t be on the Panthers roster, as he’s not listed (Jerred Smithson is a no-show as well).
| Left Wingers |
NHL 12 Rating | NHL 13 Rating |
| Tomas Fleischmann | 83 | 83 |
| Sean Bergenheim | 81 | 79 |
| Tomas Kopecky | 81 | 79 |
| Krys Barch | 78 | 67 |
Kopecky goes from right to left wing in NHL 13, while Fleischmann similarly moves to the port side. Still mildly confused as to how Barch is listed as a Panther since the game (rightfully) has F Casey Wellman on the Cats roster, as well as Rick Nash appearing with the Rangers; both trades occurred after Barch signed with the Devils.
| Right Wingers |
NHL 12 Rating | NHL 13 Rating |
| Kris Versteeg | 85 | 83 |
| Peter Mueller | 84 | 81 |
| George Parros | 81 | 69 |
Versteeg moves over to right wing and Mueller’s past injuries haven’t hurt his rating. Parros, used an example for the new ratings (see above), takes a huge nose dive to AHL-level abilities.
| Defensemen | NHL 12 Rating | NHL 13 Rating |
| Brian Campbell | 85 | 83 |
| Dmitry Kulikov | 82 | 83 |
| Filip Kuba | 81 | 82 |
| Ed Jovanovski | 83 | 79 |
| Mike Weaver | 79 | 75 |
| Erik Gudbranson | 79 | 75 |
Campbell and RFA Kulikov are rated together as the Panthers’ best defensemen, with Kuba close behind. Interesting that the new ratings system has increased both Kulikov and Kuba: the only Panthers on the roster to do see such a change. Jovanovski understandably falls short of 80, although why he drops and Kuba increases is beyond me. Weaver and Gudbranson tied at 75!?!?! I can understand having Guds at 75, since soon-to-be sophomores typically see ratings in the low 70s, but Mike Weaver? This is bad comedy!
Comparative list of defensemen rated superior to Weaver:
- Marc-Andre Bergeron, Tampa Bay (80)
- Grant Clitsome, Winnipeg (78)
- Bruno Gervais, Philadelphia (76)
- Mark Fayne, New Jersey (79)
- Mike Komisarek, Toronto (78)
- Jamie McBain, Carolina (76)
- Adam McQuaid, Boston (80)
| Defensemen | NHL 12 Rating | NHL 13 Rating |
| Jose Theodore | 82 | 78 |
| Scott Clemmensen | 81 | 76 |
No real shockers here. And for those curious, Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo checks in at 89 (previously pegged with a 90).
EA’s latest promotional video (courtesy of EA Sports)