Last-minute holiday gift guide for guys

No Canadian Christmas would be complete without some form of hockey game breaking out among family and friends.

Now, thanks to the Nintendo Wii, you can arrange that pick-up game in your living room without having to bring the hockey bag odour in with it.

EA Sports celebrates the 20th anniversary of its NHL franchise with its first-ever game for the Nintendo Wii that offers players a unique twist on game-play. NHL SLAPSHOT introduces a hockey stick that works hand-in-hand with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, allowing players to shoot or check by replicating the actual moves their favourite NHL stars use on the ice.

The game also allows players to experience the different stages of a hockey career, starting on backyard rinks at the grassroots level right up through Bantam and CHL hockey before playing under the bright lights of NHL arenas.

Through the game’s Pee Wee to Pros feature, players can step into the skates of Wayne Gretzky to follow his path through the ranks or have the Great One as a coach while creating your own character or playing as a child version of your favourite NHL star — features even those NHL stars can appreciate.

“I got a Wii and definitely love playing this game,” Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn told sportsnet.ca. “I’ve always played NHL and the sports games growing up so I still find myself playing today, every now and then. (NHL SLAPSHOT) would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone.”

Schenn remembers all too well the excitement of opening any hockey-related gifts on Christmas morning, and he says regardless if it was street hockey equipment or video games, it always got the competitive juices flowing between him and his younger brother Brayden Schenn, a draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings.

“We’re real competitive,” the older Schenn said. “Even now when we get together, we have the best-of-fives or best-of-sevens and the trash talking goes on until the next day. We used to get the online games going when we were in junior, but not so much anymore.”

This holiday season will be a bit different for the Schenns. Instead of taking on his older brother in video game tournaments, Brayden will be focusing on winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships. Luke, who won gold with the junior squad in 2008, realizes the importance of the tournament to Canadian hockey fans watching over the holidays.

“The world junior tournament is obviously huge in Canada and any kid who grew up playing hockey in Canada would love to represent their country,” Luke said. “For a lot of Canadians, when you think of Christmas time, you think of the world juniors so it’s big during the holiday season. When you get a chance to represent your country, it’s a great feeling and also to win the gold medal has to be at the top of my (most memorable holiday) list.”

While Brayden will be in Buffalo, NY for the junior tournament, he will still be playing with his brother in (virtual) spirit.

“The last time I played, I had a fantasy draft and picked up Brayden so we’re on the same team,” Schenn said. “(Virtual Luke Schenn) is doing pretty well right now for my team, so if only things could transfer onto the ice.”

And should Luke be in need of a video game opponent while his brother is busy over the holidays, he won’t have to look far to find one.

“There are a lot of guys on our team and throughout the league that play video games, you’d be surprised,” Luke said. “Tyler Bozak — playing video games is his life outside the hockey rink. Bozak and John Mitchell are the best. Mike Brown and Clarke MacArthur are the worst. Mike Komisarek is big into video games too.

“You come home after practice in the afternoon and have a little down time; it’s a great way to spend your day.”

RETAIL PRICE: $49.99

SOLD SEPARATELY: Waffles.

This tablet computer is one of the best ways to experience the web, email, photos and video without having to carry around your clunky laptop.

Like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad is controlled by a multitouch display screen but takes it to a whole new level with its 9.7-inch high-resolution screen — great for watching HD movies, TV shows, music videos and podcasts.

But what truly makes the iPad different than any other tablet is the over 300,000 apps available in The App Store. Whether you want an app for information, games or utilities, they are available in virtually every category.

The new Hockeycentral app, available for free on the iPad through The App Store, is the perfect companion for any hockey fan. It keeps you connected with news, scores and stats from the NHL and CHL and delivers Twitter updates, opinion and insider analysis from the Hockeycentral panel.

RETAIL PRICE: Begins at $499.99

SOLD SEPARATELY: A second iPad when one of your loved ones refuses to give up yours.

In Fifty Years We’ll All Be Chicks, by Adam Carolla

Writing a book when you’ve never read one may seem like a difficult task, but Adam Carolla found a way to get it done.

Carolla rips into the absurdity of modern-day culture by using his comedic anecdotes and complaints to comment on a society he mostly disagrees with.

Excerpt: Kids today are soft, fat and self-entitled. People ask why. Is it junk food? No. Junk food has been around for fifty years. As a matter of fact, back then it was worse. There were no salads or green apple slices in a McDonald’s. If I went into a McDonald’s when I was nine and someone handed me an apple, I would have kicked him in the nuts.

Retail price: $28.95

The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons

The Sports Guy chimes in on the past, present and future of the NBA by discussing — and resolving — every professional basketball debate known to man.

Simmons delves into the Bill Russell-Wilt Chamerlain rivalry and re-evaluates the selection process for the NBA Hall of Fame.

Excerpt: I LEARNED THE secret of basketball while lounging at a topless pool in Las Vegas. As I learned the secret, someone’s bare breasts were staring at me from just eight feet away. The person explaining the secret was a Hall of Famer who once vowed to beat me up and changed his mind only because Gus Johnson vouched for me.

Retail price: $20

Playing with Fire, by Theo Fleury

The story of a Canadian kid who grew up poor on the Prairies but went on to win a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal.

The former NHLer and Calgary Flames star opens up on his broken childhood, battles with abuse and addictions to drinking, drugs, gambling and girls.

Excerpt: The direct result of my being abused was that I became a raging, alcoholic lunatic. (Graham James) destroyed my belief system. The most influential adult in my life at the time was telling me that what I thought was wrong was right. I no longer had faith in myself or my own judgment. And when you come down to it, that’s all a person has.

Retail price: $19.99

What do you get the man that has it all?

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, that’s what.

For anyone who has a little extra coin to spend on their loved ones, nothing will look nicer in a big, red bow this Christmas than the world’s fastest car.

The 16-cylinder, 1,200-hp engine gets the Bugatti Veyron to a top speed of 415 km/h, going from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.

And it comes in black. Sweet.

Celebrity owner: Tom Cruise.

Retail price: $1.7 million

Sold separately: The little black book you’ll need to keep track of all your female friends.

A hands-free gaming and entertainment experience, the Kinect is an add-on for the Xbox 360 that enables users to interact with the video game platform using gestures and spoken commands.

In other words, you are the controller.

Using an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone, the Kinect responds to how you move and what you say. Whether you’re kicking a virtual ball, petting a virtual animal or controlling an HD movie with the wave of a hand, Kinect gets rid of all the buttons and gadgets.

Must-have Kinect games: Dance Central, Kinect Sports, Child of Eden, Kinect Adventures, Star Wars Kinect.

Retail price: Kinect bundles – $149.99; 4GB Xbox 360 Console + Kinect Bundle – $299.99

Sold separately: Bedpan and mini-fridge so you never have to leave the living room.