On Saturday night, Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Hendricks pulled off the ultimate bench check on the Detroit Red Wings’ Ryan Sproul.
“EA Sports … it’s in the game.”
If were grew up like me, your breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of NHL 94, the game that started it all for the sports gaming industry.
If you were also like me, you loved the bench check. Whether it was the 94 version or other versions to come, throwing that body into either bench was one of the top features of the series.
On Saturday night, in real life, we saw the same thing.
In the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Matt Hendricks put Oilers defenseman Ryan Sproul not only over the bench, but completely into the bench (video above).
No bench check from the EA Sports series could simulate that one. I don’t care which version it is.
Additionally, for you EA Sports NHL nuts like me, here’s a long clip showcasing the changes the series has seen in over 20 years of its illustrious existence: