Electronic Arts also revealed Nashville Predators' Norris Trophy-winning defenseman and Olympic gold-medalist, P.K. Subban, as the NHL 19 cover athlete.

Players can create a character and express their look and playstyle with over 900 new customization items including, for the first time, lifestyle apparel inspired by pond hockey. On the ice, the cutting-edge animation technology Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech delivers explosive-edge skating with more acceleration and responsiveness that looks and feels better. NHL 19 also lets players compete with and against over 200 of the greatest hockey legends to ever play the sport, including Wayne Gretzky.

In NHL 19, the sport returns to the ponds where players can compete under a unified progression hub called World of CHEL that unites EA SPORTS Hockey League, NHL THREES Drop In and two new modes, NHL ONES and Pro-Am. NHL ONES pits three players against each other in a 1v1v1 free-for-all with no rules and no stoppages. Players can win to rank up to new outdoor locations and defend their position as king-of-the-hill. Players can also play in any World of CHEL mode to progress their online Create-A-Character, unlock rewards, and customize their look and their playstyle.

Powering the core of NHL 19 is cutting-edge gameplay technology, RPM Tech, which redefines the way movement and animations are captured. RPM Tech enables explosive-edge skating, giving players more control, faster acceleration and more responsiveness as they move up and down the ice. RPM Tech combines with a new collision physics system that introduces more contextual body-checking, bringing bigger, badder, jaw-dropping hits that are dynamic based on speed, size and point of impact.

Collisions in NHL 19 are realistic, impactful, and fun, thanks to a reinvented physics system that overhauls how checking affects gameplay. Hits react to speed, angles, and skater physicality, bringing you an experience that looks better with new animations, and feels even better thanks to responsive controls. Keep reading to find out how Collision Physics make NHL 19 a true-to-life hockey experience.

Take control with authentic hits that send shock waves across the rink, commanding the physical side of the game. With new thrown-hit animations, unique limb tensions, and sensitive awareness of angles and speed, NHL 19 Collision Physics provide a variety of impacts that recreates the electrifying style of players like P.K. Subban.

The goal of redesigning Collision Physics was two-fold: bring players an experience that looks better, and a game that responds in ways you’d expect. In addition to a players' size, strength and hitting skill, Collision Physics will require you to think about details like angles, speed, and positioning when deciding whether to commit to a check or not. Hit tracking has undergone improvements that produce realistic collisions and give you more directional control over your hitting. Stop or start instantly and skate towards an opponent with speed as you look for that game-changing hit, or simply roll the left stick and take an arced path to glide towards your objective.

Either way, you’ll be able to decide exactly how you collide with your opponent, and the results are more accurate than ever before in NHL 19. The real-time responsiveness afforded by Collision Physics, in tandem with RPM Skating, means you’ll be able to time your checks just right.

If you do catch your opponent with a collision, then you’ll notice thrown-hit animations that look more realistic and impact directional movement. How you throw a check is changed by the speed and angle of the collision, as chasing a skater from behind and pushing them will create very different collisions than a standstill shoulder check will.

Part of the variation in hit outcome has to do with unique limb tension and physicality, as NHL 19 Collision Physics allow for accurate distribution of force across the human body. Limbs, muscles, and joints now absorb force in ways you’d expect, as big collisions cause skaters to fold up like they would in real life. This applies to both skaters involved in the collision, as you’ll retain body position while checking your opponent along the boards, as opposed to bouncing right off of them.

You’ll also want to be aware of the relative angles between players involved in a collision, as this has an impact on force distribution and the resulting hit animation. Catching your opponent square to the center of their body will produce a much different collision than simply catching a piece of their shoulder, as angles, speed, physical tension, and thrown-hit animations all work together to produce limitless variations in hitting.

Stamina plays a big role in hitting this year too, as endurance affects your ability to absorb a check. When your skater’s stamina is low late in a shift, avoid collisions at all costs, as this has a detrimental result in how quickly your player gets back up. Once you find yourself out of position in NHL 19, it will require even more stamina to return to a safe defensive stance.

While responsive controls allow you to change direction instantly, they also burn more stamina, which can be countered by avoiding sudden stops or starts when unnecessary. Keeping track of your skater’s stamina will help you make strategic decisions, such as utilizing a poke check to conserve energy as you attempt to disrupt the play. Make sure you have endurance in mind as you enjoy the endless number of unique hits available with NHL 19 Collision Physics.

Fans can enjoy all that NHL 19 has to offer while also paying tribute to stars of the past with the addition of Legends, featuring over 200 of hockey's greatest from all eras, including Wayne Gretzky. Players can compete as Hero Teams that combine squads of superstars from the past and present for an ultimate fantasy matchup. Play with the best of the best from all eras in both single-player and multiplayer modes.

The youthful expression of today's hockey is also represented in NHL 19 where, for the first time, players can create a unique look with lifestyle gear and clothing, including hoodies, jackets, parkas, and knits frame hockey lifestyle brands and unique custom designs. New playstyle classes and player traits also let players customize the way they perform on the ice, allowing fans the freedom to create and compete as the players they've always wanted to be.

NHL 19 is available on September 14, 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One. Be first in line to compete from the pond to the pros, unlocking the full game three days early on September 11, 2018 when you pre-order the NHL19 Legends Edition and NHL19 Ultimate Edition!

In addition, EA Access members can play for up to 10 hours starting September 6, 2018 with the EA Access Play First Trial.