The premise of this article might sound a little goofy, but I promise there is viable information to be learned here. The EA Sports franchise has given me a large percentage of my random sports knowledge since my college (class skipping) days.

Think of it this way. We all know who the stars are in every sport. The ones that grab the headlines, show up in highlight reels and commercials and peddle their jerseys in every sporting goods store across the land. What makes a team go in a “team” sport are the next tiers of talent.

Regardless of how you play video games, when you use a team, you have to use the whole team. If you are a Red Wings fan, don’t just use one, top line of players to play a game. I suppose you could if you set your game up that way, but then you would be a tool that exploits system and will never lose.  Wow. Fun. The point of playing a hockey game is to really play the hockey game, and that is where the research and player knowledge is grown.

I play the video games because I can’t play hockey anymore (back surgery), and never really could at the NHL level.  The realism of the games today are a far cry from where they have come. Remember “Blades of Steel”? The players actually look like players on TV, and you can play an authentic hockey game with every player in the NHL and beyond.

EA Sports has painstakingly developed their NHL franchise over the years to provide the most realistic simulation of NHL hockey that is out there. If you don’t think the Kings should have won the Stanley Cup, guess what, you can guide the Columbus Blue Jackets to Lord Stanley’s chalice if you are so inclined.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, go to the GM mode in gameplay and go to the fantasy draft when choosing rosters. To do this requires more than your basic knowledge of who the top players are. The same is true in “real” fantasy hockey. Once the big names are gone, who is left?

Sure, it’s great to try and load your team with stars, but to be successful you need to know which players will excel in different areas so that your team has the balance and consistency to be competitive. While EA’s ratings and evaluation of talent might not be the most accurate, it makes you aware of players that are slightly beyond the range that you would normally look.

The scoring table always shows you who the top 20 are among the league leaders,  but it’s the next 40 on that list that will get your team to the top of the standings. Knowing the players in a video game doesn’t guarantee that you will become king of your fantasy hockey league, but it’s a fun and easy way to expand your knowledge of the player pool. Plus, you can help take those plucky, gritty Blue Jackets to the Stanley Cup.