HW Video Game Week: NHL 2001

Christmas of 2000 was a happy time in the Dexster household. After years of being told by my mother that we would never receive video games for Christmas, she caved. It was the first holiday season that the "slim" PlayStation's were available to the public. My brother was the one whom received the system and still gloats to me about it to this day. So after we received the system we ventured to Funco Land the next day. Oh yeah who remembers Funco Land?? The Norm Green's of the world, I mean GameStop, bought out the company (me thinks) in the early part of the decade.

Some of my fondest memories was being Matt Johnson and initiating a fight with anyone and everyone. Antti Laaksonen was always a go-to offensive play-maker for me. If it wasn't for Laaksonen, I would have never mastered the wrap-around shot. Which is how I have scored about 90% of my goals to this day. To that, I salute you Antti Laaksonen and your mediocre career.

After two periods my brother was ahead by a couple goals. Before the third period began, my Dad came in to see the score and where the game was headed. Knowing I had no chance of coming back... my Dad told us we had to finish the game with pulled goalies. (giving me about 25% AT BEST of winning the game) I made it interesting and even had the puck down by 1 as time was expiring and slung one more down the length of the ice that just went wide giving my brother the victory and crushing my tiny, tiny soul.

NHL 2001 was also the first of its kind to feature online play and had some hilarious Easter eggs built into the game. The PA announcer for the arenas would drop in some hilarious reads, if your ears were able to catch them;