E3 10: NHL 11 looks like everything I’ve ever wanted

NHL 09 and NHL 10 are two of my most favorite sports games in recent memory, and this debut trailer for NHL 11 has set my mind ablaze with anticipation. (Or maybe my brain feels like it’s on fire because I’ve been writing up E3 posts for twelve straight hours now. Who knows.)

Either way, what I do know for sure is that the trailer above looks awesome — it introduces a host of gameplay innovations and improvements, so if you skipped out on NHL 10 because you thought it was an incremental update, then you might want to check out this trailer. We already knew about the real-time physics system, which is going to allow for player interactions like this for the first time. But other new features include a never-before-seen face-off system, broken sticks (which become physics objects) — and in conjunction, sans-stick play such as passing your stick to another player — and quick dekes.

I can’t wait to check out the full game when it launches on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall. Hit up the gallery for seven screenshots that show off the newly announced features.