In an almighty display of bad timing, NHL 14's latest trailer details the game's expanded suite of punch-up options. Taking the form of a quick tutorial video, the trailer shows gamers just how and where to take control of the title's myriad on-ice tussles. Powered by EA Vancouver's new 'Enforcer engine,' EA FC 24 Coins the tech allows players to seamlessly enter into fisticuffs, echoing the developer's commitment to an authentic, upscaled sense of aggression. NHL 14 producer Sean Ramjagsingh recently told CBC:

"For us this year it was all about capturing the big hits, the real fights and unbelievable speed and skill of hockey…Fighting is a little bit controversial to some people but for hockey fans out there, and casual hockey fans, it's an important part of the sport."

Interestingly, the game's new third-person fighting system was co-developed by EA Canada, veterans of the celebrated Fight Night series of boxing titles, whose work has also previously been utilized in EA's UFC series. In addition to borrowing from other franchises, NHL 14 will also be heading back into its own storied history, when the game ships with an NHL '94 20th anniversary mode.

Sadly, for those fans holding out for a next-gen ice-hockey extravaganza, EA confirmed to us back in May that the franchise would not be coming to the 8th-gen — at least not this year. "NHL 14 will not be available for Xbox One or PlayStation 4 this year. Our team is laser-focused on delivering the greatest hockey experience to-date on the Xbox 360 and PS3. grounded in the speed, skill, and aggression of the sport. We look forward to developing a best-in-class hockey experience for new platforms in the future."

Given the collapse of 2K's own hockey franchise, you might've expected EA to push their title with even greater intensity — though perhaps this sudden lack of publisher interest signals a sharp drop-off in sales. Are you excited for FC 24 and/or NHL 14? Where else should EA franchises be sharing their mechanics? Would you purchase current and next-gen editions of the same game? Let us know in the comments below.

For the past three years, I have entered the Electronic Arts E3 booth,FIFA Coins headed into a special area dedicated to EA Sports, and got hands-on time with the next iteration in the EA Sports FC franchise. And for the past three years, I’ve struggled to put my experience with the game into words.