Hockey card game captivates young and old
December 13, 2007
St. Catharines Standard
Baron Bedesky (Collectibles)
Those of you who ambled into the Ice Dogs game last Sunday may have noticed something a little different during your walk past the usual displays offering face-painting, sugary treats, and 50-50 tickets. Set among the regulars were the folks from Burlington-based CSE Games with a demo of their card hockey game.
Card hockey? Well, there’s ice hockey (though that seems to be more of an American term), ball hockey, street hockey, roller hockey, pond hockey, fantasy hockey, table hockey, video hockey… and yes, card hockey. CSE Games (which stands for Cards Sports & Entertainment – checkout www.csegames.com) has just released the latest version of their NHL Ice Breaker card hockey game.
So what is this game all about? Well, if you want to play a game that’s easy to learn, yet entails some complex strategy, if you enjoy playing cards, if the game of hockey turns your crank, and if you want a burst of fun with your friends and family, this is the game for you.
“For a collector, this is a unique game in that you are simulating hockey; I’d say you are actually playing hockey,” says former St. Catharines resident and company President (and Brock graduate) Fabio Del Rio. “If you enjoy playing cards, if you enjoy hockey, this is a nice game that’s easy to learn – you can learn it in a couple of minutes – but it also has good depth.”
I’ve played the game a number of times, but did not hesitate when invited by Del Rio to sit down and engage in a duel. My Bruins versus his Senators. The first period was a tight affair with Ottawa scoring the only goal. Things opened up substantially in the second stanza, however, and when the smoke had cleared, the contest was tied at three. That’s when six-year-old Ethan Wellings of Beamsville sauntered by with his mother Pam. Our spirited battle immediately caught his attention.
“What’s this?” he asked and soon Del Rio began to explain the simple mechanics of the game. Even though NHL Ice Breaker is marketed towards those age eight and up, young Ethan was obviously captivated. “Can I play?” he asked. I quickly surrendered my chair and let him take over the reigns. While Pam explained how her son eats, breathes and sleeps hockey, he quickly disposed of the company president and led my Bruins to a 5-4 triumph.
“I liked the game a lot,” said Ethan in his brief post-game interview. The youngster plays at the Tyke level in Beamsville for “Pittsburgh.” I’m guessing the minor hockey system there names its teams after NHL cities. Either that, or Pittsburgh is the name of a new suburb in what is becoming a rapidly sprawling Niagara community. Like many his age, an NHL career looms in the distant future. He admits the Penguins are his favourite team and that Sidney Crosby is his favourite player. I ask him why, and he quickly shames me with an obvious answer to my unimaginative question.
“Because he’s a good player,” says Ethan.
The NHL Ice Breaker game does not fit into the traditional mode of a sports collectible. This isn’t something you tuck away into a protective case and display on your wall, or sell for a profit a few years down the line. This is a game meant to be used, sort of a quick fix for hockey addicts and can be played virtually any time and anywhere. And it’s a perfect fit for both the fan and the hobbyist.
“It adds to what being a collector is all about,” says Del Rio. “It’s being a part of someone, owning part of a team, or owning part of a player. This game enhances that feeling. Collectors are fans first and foremost. You kind of get involved with imagining you are playing the game of hockey.
“We had a tournament at one of the shows and you can really feel people get excited while they are playing. We’ve had people tell us they saw others getting excited while they were playing, but they didn’t know how genuine it was until they started playing themselves. That’s when they feel it, and that’s when they get it.”
At $25, a drop in the bucket for so many collectors, this game is well worth the investment.
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