Midnight madness for NHL 10

Canadian hockey fans, prepare to be torn tonight — there’s more than one way to get your fix.

Apart from the NHL’s preseason debut being made widely available on TV and online, select stores across the country are gearing up for a special midnight release of NHL 10 — the 18th game in the EA Sports franchise.

One Future Shop location in each of Toronto and Vancouver will be staying open until 1 a.m.  Game systems loaded with NHL 10 will be on hand, allowing hockey’s hardcore followers to practice their moves on one another as they count down to midnight.

At Yonge and Dundas the party is already underway.  Ian White is scheduled to be signing autographs until 11pm ET.  Wendel Clark should be on hand to do the same from 10:00 to 11:45 p.m. ET.  In Vancouver, Trevor Linden will be signing autographs from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. PT at the Robson and Granville location.  Linden announced at an earlier launch party today that he’s been invited to carry the Olympic torch for Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Games.  The former Canucks captain did not know what leg of the tour he would be taking part in.

Microplay stores across the country will also release the game at midnight.

New features for NHL 10 include new first-person fighting, meaning when the fists start to fly, your opponent’s nuckles look like they’re going to shatter your TV screen.  Taking out your furstrations with hits after the whistle can now lead to scrums.  Going after another team’s star player in his own building will draw the ire of local fans.  Likewise, the enforcers you go up against can now instigate fights.  Look for the towel-waving ritual come playoff time.  And as always, you’ll have to find new ways to score, as the goalies come equipped with hundreds of different looks, including second and third save attempts.  Gamers will also be able to head straight for the Stanley Cup Finals and duke it out in a one-, three-, five- or seven-game series.