PCM

I heard that Kaip had been cleared to play again and has been practicing.

You use NHL View to open the main data base file (db.viv) and, if you desire, the exhibition roster database file (NHL 2004 Exh.exh) and secondary database files. To do this, click on the open folder icon. That opens a menu screen that enables you to select which file or combination of files you want to open for editing. But you have to tell the program where those files are located. For example, "db.viv" is located in the DB folder of the main NHL 2004 directory. You must either input that location or click on the open folder icon to browse to it. The other files, however, are not in the NHL 2004 directory. They're in the NHL 2004\DB directory created under "My Documents." You must either input that location and the file name or browse to it by clicking on the open folder icon. Once you properly input the location of the file or files you want to edit, click on "Open" and you will see the rosters and players for every team. From there, you can look at the ratings for every player and change them to your heart's content.

And I feel just terrible about it.

I did it by using NHL View, a free player-roster editor that you can download here.

Because I've had several people e-mail for instructions on how to install the NCAA mod for NHL 2004, I've decided that it might be a good idea to post some instructions here. NCAA 2004 Installation Instructions Download the files "db.viv" and "ncaa_2004.zip here. You will need WinZip to open the ZIP file and extract the folders and files from it. WinZip can be downloaded for free here. Next, you'll need to use Windows Explorer. This is a utility for working with files and folders that comes with Windows. Click on "Start" and "All Programs." Windows Explorer is in the "Accessories" folder. Click on the icon to open the program. Using Windows Explorer, create a folder called Temp (for temporary). Open the ncaa_2004.zip file with WinZip and select the Extract option. Where it says "Extract to:" input the directory location for the Temp folder you just created (i.e. C:\Temp). Make sure the "All files" and "Use folder names" options are checked. Click on "Extract" to unzip all of the files into the Temp directory. You can now close WinZip because that's all you need it for. Go back to Windows Explorer and find the Temp folder you created. Below it, you should see a subfolder called "ncaa_2004" and subfolders under that called "DB," "gamedata" and "images2." Left click on the DB folder to select it. Right click on the folder and select Copy from the menu options. Now find the folder for this directory: C:\Documents and Settings\"your computer's name"\My Documents\NHL 2004 (It's easiest just to click on the My Documents icon near the top of Windows Explorer.) Select the NHL 2004 folder, right click on it and select Paste. When asked if you want to overwrite existing files, say yes. Go back to the Temp folder, select the gamedata subfolder, right click on it and copy it. Now go to the directory where you installed NHL 2004 and find: C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 2004\gamedata (This assumes that you installed NHL 2004 to the default location on your C: drive.) Select the NHL 2004 gamedata folder, right click on it and select Paste. When asked if you want to overwrite existing files, say yes. Go back to the Temp folder, select the images2 subfolder, right click on it and copy it. Now go to the directory where you installed NHL 2004 and find: C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 2004\fe\nhl\images2 (Again assuming that NHL 2004 is in the default directory.) Select the images2 folder under this directory, right click on it and choose Paste. Again, overwrite all existing files when asked to do so. Finally, find the db.viv file you downloaded separately, copy it and paste it here: C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 2004\db Overwrite the existing file when asked to do so. Assuming you did everything correctly, the next time you start NHL 2004, you should see a logo on the main menu screen for NCAA 2004. All the NHL teams should now be replaced with college teams. Note that all parts of the game aren't converted to college hockey. NHL logos are used in some parts of the game and some goalies wear NHL team masks. This is normal. Also, schedules and playoffs are arranged the way the NHL does them, not as the NCAA does them. If anyone tries this method and has problems with it, please let me know. This is the way I installed the game mod and it worked for me.

What does the off-season have to do with it? Fire away. Just hope that I don't my big, sweaty hands on you.

C'mon! The words "Rangers" and "right thing" don't even belong in the same sentence.

Not necessarily. A lot of the Rangers' young players go on to have good careers on other teams. That's yet another frustrating aspect of being a Rangers fan.

No, you're not missing anything. That's the way it is. Apparently some parts of the game are easier to change than others.

I've been using the Nyko AirFlo EX. It's reasonably priced (GameStop in GF has them for $20) and it's a bit larger for people with big hands. Plus, it has a fan inside and ventilation holes to help keep your hands from getting sweaty. If you're like me and have big, sweaty hands, this controller's for you.

If you notice, the fans are standing and cheering when Parise takes the puck behind the net, but they're sitting down during and after Fuher scores. Must be a bunch of season ticket holders.

Just for the heck of it, I created a highlight reel replay of Nick Fuher's game-winning goal in OT from my fictional 2004 UND-DU playoff rematch. I'm not sure how well it will work because this is my first attempt at creating a Web-viewable AVI file. It seems to work okay on my PC.

That would have been the NCAA mod for NHL 2000. It was good when it came out, but it's now quite dated. I played the heck out of that mod for a couple of years. It's still on my computer, although I haven't played it for ages.

If I could turn back time... Oh wait, I can! Here's my fictional recap of a fictional rematch between Denver and UND during the 2004 NCAA west region playoffs using the NCAA game mod for NHL 2004. I probably should have used the editing program to take Conner James out of the DU lineup because he was still injured then and didn't play. However, in my rematch, James certainly made the game closer and more exciting. I played this game at the medium level of difficulty using my edited version of the 03-04 Sioux.

Very true. The Rangers, their fans and the New York media have no patience for developing young talent. And I say this as a Rangers fan.

There's an article at USCHO reporting that Michigan goalie Al Montoya signed a deal today with the New York Rangers.

Oh. Sorry.

I know the one you mean. I've never heard it in person, but when Tim Hennessy broadcasts Sioux games from MTU, I can hear it over the radio and it quickly becomes annoyingly repetitive.

I believe this rule has been in the NCAA book for quite some time:

The Sioux went 3-1 against the Gophers last season.

They'd most likely get a delay of game penalty out of it, too.

That's correct. I remember during the 03-04 season, some of the designers were asking on the USCHO forums for shots of arenas and goalie equipment. I sent them some digital shots of the Ralph's scoreboard and center ice artwork, as well as the pads and masks for Brandt and Parise. I never heard anything about whether it helped, but the photo of REA that's shown on the game launch screen appears to be one I sent them. Actually, it was NHL 2000 (which was released in 1999). I still have that mod on my computer and play it now and then.

I know there are some utilities that make it easier to convert image files into the textures that NHL 2004 uses. I've never tried it myself. However, I do know that there were quite a few people working for more than a year on the NCAA mod for NHL 2004. It's not a simple process. And then there's the collecting of information for the player and team database files. Oy.