First off, the biggest feature in NHL 09 seems to be the brand-new Be a Pro mode. Inspired by the feature of the same name from last year's FIFA 08, this mode will let you strap on the stakes as an up-and-coming hockey player. After creating your player from scratch, you'll sign up with an AHL team (EA naturally has the full AHL license) and begin to find your way through your career as a hot minor-league prospect.
As with the Be a Pro mode in FIFA, when you're on the ice in NHL 09's Be a Pro mode, you'll be focused on your player alone, thanks to a third-person camera that will be focused tight (but not too tight) on your created player. According to producers, this close-up camera angle will give you more opportunities for shooting in a variety of different angles on the goalie, from up high to five hole, because the targets will be that much bigger on the screen.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Be a Pro mode in NHL 09 is the different types of roles you'll be able to serve when creating your player. Not only will you be able to play as a goalie, but you'll also be able to choose different types of roles as a regular skater, from a grinding, checking defenseman to a speedy, shot-taking sniper. As a result, when you're on the ice with your team, your coach will have different expectations of you depending on your role. It's these individual expectations that will form the basis for how your performance is judged in the game and how your player progresses as a result.
You'll be judged in three main categories: position, team play, and statistics. Given that your position on the ice is so crucial to the success of you as a player and your team as a whole, you'll always be judged by how closely you fit into your proper position based on your role. If you're not sure where you need to be during a certain point, a handy arrow will appear overheard to point in the direction you need to go if you're out of place. How often that arrow appears will be a measure of how often you're in the right (or wrong) spot on the ice, and you'll be judged accordingly.
The second aspect of your performance is team play. This takes into consideration a huge number of factors: everything from the number of shots you take to the number of times you call for the puck through a pass. Sometimes calling for the pass is a good thing; sometimes taking a shot is a good thing, even if it doesn't go in the net. That said, if you start calling for a shot every time you touch the puck, or call to go back on the ice during a line change (yes, you will sit on the bench when your line is between shifts), your team and coaches are going to notice and might even dock your performance in the process. After all, there are shots and then there are good shots, just like there are passes and good passes. The CPU will know the difference and, after a while, so will you.
These team-play expectations will change depending on your player's role. For example, if you're playing a checking defender, then you won't be expected to take a lot of shots; you'll be expected to lay guys out on the ice each and every game. Naturally, the final aspect of your performance will be statistics, and you'll be expected to put up numbers both in the minors and once you make it to the NHL. If you fail to perform, you can expect a long road to the Big Show; if you're already an NHL regular, you might be traded if your output isn't up to your potential.
As you progress in the game, you'll be able to purchase attribute points, which you can assign to your player to improve his performance. In addition, at a point further down the line in this mode, you'll earn the chance to get your own hockey card, which will detail your accomplishments through the minors, into the NHL, and on to the ultimate goal of becoming an NHL legend. One cool feature included here is the ability to take screenshots of your own in the game and then use those images for your hockey card.
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Originally Posted by CaptPantalones
