Gen Z: The ZMan Brings 20 Years Of Experience to EA NHL 18

Now that the Winter Olympics are over, we’re sure you feel a piece of your heart missing. You know, the one without hockey? Luckily, we ran into ZMan11, a virtual NHL pro who has been playing competitively since the times of the Sega Genesis. He gives us his journey to championship glory, his thoughts on the current landscape, and some tips on getting to his level in the NHL series of games.

When a young ZBoy becomes a ZMan

ZMan’s first foray into competitive NHL was through a service called XBand, the precursor to modern online gaming. He mentioned while it was a bit daunting at first, he eventually found a friend, the aptly named "MaN iN tHe Box" who helped him improve his game, and eventually start placing well in tournaments on the system. He managed to amass over 220,000 ranking points on the system, and had multiple top 10 finishes in events.

ZMan didn't lose much during his NHL 95 & 96 playing career. He boasted an 85% win rate in 95 and a 93% win rate in 96. 

Championship Glory and the Mindset to Succeed

As his game continued to improve, he found himself really clicking in the NHL 2K series for the original Xbox. His skills improved so much that by the time NHL 2K8 came out on Xbox 360, he was competing at the NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. He faced off against three other players, two on Xbox 360, two on PS3, for a chance at the championship. In the end, only one man stood victorious - ZMan (and the Anaheim Ducks, which made a certain member of the Twin Galaxies staff pretty happy.) “That experience was unreal,” he said. “(Former Ottawa Senators and current Dallas Stars forward) Jason Spezza commentated the finals game. When I won, I got to drive in the car around the ice. They even showed the finals on the big screen during the second period intermission!”

ZMan said it was easy for to stay relaxed during such a tense moment. “At that point,” he said, “I said to myself ‘I made it!’ so winning or anything else was just a bonus. We got to meet and hang out with the players, and I had a friend of mine there with me to keep me calm. That definitely made the difference.”

During his NHL 2K8 championship run, ZMan used the Anaheim Ducks (top) to secure victory. He stands triumphantly with his new Dodge Nitro after winning the championship (bottom-left) and got to drive it on the ice (bottom right.) 

After his triumphant victory, ZMan continued to play the NHL 2K series until it was dissolved in 2011. He then switched to the NHL series, starting with 2011. He joined the Virtual Hockey League, run by the now-defunct leaguearena.com, where players could assume the role of one player and compete with teams made of peers for the virtual Stanley Cup. He was highly successful, playing on three Stanley Cup teams with the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2011-2014. He then laid dormant from the competitive NHL scene until recently.

Lacing Up The Skates for NHL 18

ZMan is back for NHL 18, and he’s excited to start competing again. “It’s been tough getting back into it,” he admits, “the competition is awesome now.” ZMan also said part of his interest stems from sports leagues like the NBA giving esports contracts to players, but it’s really all about competing. As for his preferred game mode, he focuses on traditional versus play, not the Ultimate Team mode that seems to be surging in popularity. “EA is definitely making a push towards the Ultimate Team mode,” he said, “but I’m not into it. I don’t want to put any real money into the game. Besides, I'm competitive with people who have teams of all 90+ guys with my team of free 85 overall guys, so why even try to get better players?” 

ZMan has chosen the Pittsburgh Penguins to go to war with, despite his status as an Islanders fan. He's not particularly thrilled about having to use an Eastern Conference foe, but says, "you have to do what you have to do sometimes to win." 

The Pittsburgh Penguins with the Stanley Cup, of which ZMan11 hopes to see a similar sight in his future with the team.

Grizzled Vet Gives Some Tips To The Boys

For new players, ZMan recommends starting the way he started - with a friend. “Find a friend who’s good and figure out how to play!” he said. “It happened to me back in [NHL] 95 and 2K3, and I was better because of it. Also, utilize YouTube. I recommend following players like  Brainstorm and Bacon to learn from. You also want to utilize practice mode to improve your strategy, because you can’t win unless you put the puck in the net. Lastly, don’t ever quit an online match, no matter how badly you’re getting beaten. I continue to play even when I’m down like, 6-1, because every game is a learning experience. Even if you’re losing big, see if you can emulate what your opponent is doing.” 

Lastly is something we’ve covered in the “"Life of a Low Tier Hero” series about fighting games - but the same can be said for any competitive game as well: don’t worry about your record. “I don’t care about my record,” ZMan said, “I care about whether or not I’m competitive with these top players.”

We've all had our own experiences with ridiculously powerful video game athletes, including a certain dominating center for the Chicago Blackhawks. Check out TG's list of the most overpowered virtual athletes of all time!