Now with that said I can get on with the review. I first looked into the service last spring when I wanted to watch the Flames 09 playoff run. It’s a good thing I didn’t purchase it then because that run didn’t last too long. At the start of this season I looked into it again and hesitated for the first few games of the season. The $160 price tag was a little hard to swallow, but when you break it down to $20/month the price doesn’t seem near as bad.

I’ve now been using the service for almost 2 months. I’ve watched almost every Flames game this year along with other games along with many frantic OT periods and shootouts. Here’s what I like so far:

• The video quality: this seems to vary depending on the source feed but overall it’s awesome. Especially the Hockey Night in Canada feeds. Even at the 800kbps feed the game looks great at full screen on my 24″ iMac.
• Top Scoreboard: keeping tabs on all the other games currently being played is easy with the top scoreboard. It’s also a nice touch how the games ending soon or in OT are highlighted in red. I’ve used this many times to quickly switch to a 3-2 game ending in a couple minutes. That’s good hockey right there.
• Game Archives: the amount of games currently archived is crazy. I can go back and watch all the Flames vs Oilers games from the last couple of seasons or watch the Pens / Caps playoff series from least year whenever I want. Finding a game to watch is really easy sorting first by season, then team and the date.
• Multiple Feed Speeds: my current home internet connection is 1Mbps. So I’m unable to use the highest quality feed of 1.6Mbps. I use the 800Kbps most of the time but have also used the 400Kbps option when watching on a laptop from somewhere in my house with a weak wi-fi signal.
• Watching Coaches Corner: when I first started watching intermissions and commercial breaks were blocked but this doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Thank you NHL as this was quite frustrating. Watching Don Cherry again from Costa Rica is awesome.
• Widgets: the widgets are awesome. If I jumped into a game part way through I can easily find out who has scored, and where on the ice they scored from while still watching the game.
• Time Line Bookmarks although I haven’t used this feature very much I really like the idea. When watching on archived game the time line has a series of colored dots depicting different highlights in the game. Clicking on one quickly takes you to watch that point of the game.

That’s a pretty big list but no software is without it’s flaws.

• Adaptive Feed Speed: the idea of an adaptive feed speed is great. But when I select the option it says I need to install the NeuLion plugin. Great, have a link for me? This should be a more integrated experience.
• Full Screen Widgets: in order to check the stats I have to exit full screen, thus minimizing viewing area, to see the stats. There should be a way to view the stats while in full screen. That being said, I wouldn’t want any more buttons while in full screen.
• Live Video Controls: while watching a live game, which I do most often, you cannot use the rewind, fast forward or restart video controls. That’s fine, just don’t leave them there for me to click. I think these also may need the NeuLion plugin that I have yet to install.
• Remember Me: when logging in to NHL Gamecenter there is a remember me check box just like many other web apps. Unfortunately, this one does not work and I have to login every single time.
• Doesn’t Always Use Best Source Feed: I’ve noticed on at least one occasion that Gamecenter did not use the best source video available. For a Flames / Wings game at the beginning of the season the NHL decided to use a standard def grainy feed from detroit instead of the higher quality high def CBC Hockey Night in Canada feed.

Overall I really love NHL Gamecenter and do not regret my purchase. I’ve even considered upgrading my internet to accommodate the highest 1.6Mbps video feed. The service is so good I may consider buying it when I move back to Canada although I’m not sure how the blackout restrictions will affect me. So if you’re like me, living in a foreign country and need your hockey fix, look no further than NHL Gamecenter.