Score: 95 out of 100 (Reviewed on PlayStation 3)

The crew at EA Canada clearly loves hockey. Every year, NHL fans eagerly await the highly polished gem that comprises the NHL series. The wait, once again, was worth it.

Serving up a knuckle sandwich is only one way NHL 10 rewards more physical players.

NHL 10 improves upon its highly-acclaimed predecessor in many areas. Here’s a quick list:

** Board play. Players have to go into the corners and battle it out for the puck, kicking it clear with their feet or jamming it loose with their stick. This makes the game look and play more realistically, and rewards the stronger players on ice.

** Fighting. Enforcers can go toe-to-toe in a first-person mini-game that adds (or subtracts) energy from your team. Fighting is pretty simple, but it is up-close and personal and definitely adds a visceral dimension to the game.

** Injuries. I may be imagining things, but you can now injure opponents with crushing hip checks. I was able to acquire Robyn Regehr for my blue line and hospitalized Sydney Crosby (broken ankle) and Alexander Ovechkin (broken wrist) in back-to-back games. The checking line is now dangerous (and entertaining) to play. You can even injure players by bouncing slapshots off their shins, or injure yourself by missing a check and throwing yourself into the glass. Cool!

** A new type of player, called a Tough Guy (aka Enforcer), is added. This type of player usually works on the 3rd or 4th line and intimidates opponents and protects your team’s star players. Without enough Tough Guys, opponents start bouncing your top line stud around like a tennis ball.

** Franchise mode, now called “Be a GM” is much improved. The trading AI of the CPU teams is difficult to trick.

** A new Hockey Shop makes it possible to upgrade/customize your character’s equipment for online play. Enhancements (slap shot power, accuracy, etc.) are purchased by earning achievements (sweet) or with cold hard cash (unsweet).

** Online play is much smoother, even 6-on-6 action ran without a hitch.

** Player ratings seem more realistic, though there are always players that seem to have better or worse stats than their real-life stats would indicate.

** More player animations and slight graphical/presentation upgrades.

For me, making online play work more smoothly was worth the price of admission. For those who play against opponents in their living room, being able to tap your little brother’s enforcer and beat him to the ice in a humiliating heap will provide lots of entertainment.

I spent at least 24 hours playing “Be a GM” mode, and the addition of achievements is cool. Rack up enough achievements and your team can hire better coaches, scouts and medical staff. The “cellphone” used to initiate trades and other tasks feels a bit gimmicky but it works. The “trading block” is also helpful in that you can see who other teams are trying to unload.

Tricking CPU GMs is tough, though sometimes a completely goofy trade works. I obtained sniper Teemu Selanne from Anaheim for a lower-ranked Nik Antropov. In general, the new “Trade Value” mechanic pretty much prevents the unloading of aging veterans for future superstars. The old trick of picking up waiver wire relics and immediately trading them for prospects is a thing of the past.

On the ice, the game feels more real. Board play can slow the action, but once you get the hang of things it adds a needed dimension to the game. Hockey is a physical sport after all. Board play, combined with the on-ice pugilism, makes third and fourth line personnel more important. Loading up on fleet, but willowy, snipers is no longer wise. You have to have some heft on each line to spring pucks loose and occasionally beat your opponent silly.

Scoring seems more difficult, so racking up high scores is less likely. Defensemen blasting from the point seem to have a better chance of scoring than in the past. Passing is less pinpoint. Frequently a pass will go awry and carom off a skate convincingly.

Very cool is the new animation of players slapping at airborne pucks with their sticks. I had the pleasure of watching Ilya Kovalchuk redirect a puck into the net that had bounced off the goalie’s face mask. And players will try to score even when knocked to their knees and sliding on the ice. Awesome stuff.

Here’s what still needs improvement:

** It is lame to charge for Hockey Shop enhancements. The game cost $60!

** There’s not enough visual variety when creating new players.

** Computer-controlled players never seem to join the rush on a breakaway. They hang back, instead of driving to the net.

** In franchise mode, there needs to be a way of seeing who is on the team during free agency signings. Right now, you are locked out of seeing the coach’s line chart, and this makes it easy to sign a depth player you don’t need.

** The trade screen needs a “make this work” button. There are times when you know a player is on the trading block, but you can’t deduce the magical mix of players the other team wants to get the deal done.

** Computer-controlled teams make very odd personnel moves. And very high-quality free agent talent remains unsigned year after year. In real life, a player that was unsigned in the middle of the year would take less money to play.

** It is still too easy to get a penalty when jamming at the puck near the net.

** At the end of a period, players shove each other repeatedly. It looks odd.

NHL 10 is a definite improvement on what was already the best sports simulation on the market. Drop the puck already!