While shopping online at work today, debating what to spend my WalMart gift card on, I stumbled upon those classic rod hockey games that any hockey fan had growing up.
What I didn’t expect to find was a version I had never seen before.
Up above, that’s the classic Stiga table-top hockey game, but as you can see, it looks a little different than you might remember.
That’s because this is the European High Speed Edition. You likely had this one growing up, the Stanley Cup Edition.
So what makes the European version different and, “high speed”?
Well, for one the attention to detail in the European one is way better than the Stanley Cup one, just look at the advertisements not just on the boards, but on the ice. That legitimately looks like a rink in a European league or tournament. The Stanley Cup one is just…the NHL logos. Lame.
The only thing that makes the Stanley Cup one better is you can get NHL team players, where as the European one has generic countries. This one comes with Finland and Sweden, apparently.
Second, the High Speed Version apparently has a new and improved “ice” surface to make the game faster than ever. Which means the European game is quicker and more free flowing, unlike the Stanley Cup version which has its score counter stop at three and relies heavily on clutch-and-grab, dump-and-chase hockey.
No word on if the European version also requires all the little players to wear a visor.
So yeah, if you have $100 laying around and want to get me, or another hockey fan in your life a present, you could do way worse than this.