Confirmed: NHL 2K6 to hit stores for under $20

With everything else about the NHL a far cry from the way it was a year ago--thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement and the high-stakes game of superstar musical chairs known as free agency--it's nice to see some things remain the same.

To little surprise, 2K Games today announced that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of its hockey sim NHL 2K6 would carry the same $19.99 price tag as its 2K5 predecessor.

Somewhat more surprising is the announcement that 2K6 will sport different cover athletes depending on where you buy it. American copies of the game will feature Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco, while Canadian and European versions will sport the Swedish-born Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin.

Check out GameSpot's Spot On feature for more on NHL 2K6 and how the league's recent turmoil has affected development of all major hockey games this year.