Thanks to Playmobil, I can pass on this tradition to my son, and we’ll play hockey games just like my father and I did.

The skaters snap easily into platforms that make them look like they’re skating, and it also allows them to shoot pucks. But to the point at hand, Playmobil allows you to customize not just your players, but the NHL Hockey Arena itself. That’s the spring loaded mechanism that pulls his hockey stick back and releases it for the shooting action.

It is not difficult to put together and I'm glad I bought it new because it comes with a ton of team logo stickers; which is a big bonus to a toddler! Playmobil includes three sheets of decals, including every NHL Team logo and the NHL Shield logo as well, in case you’d rather stay neutral.

While that’s an overwhelmingly good thing, that means some of their bigger sets have many small pieces, and can take a while to assemble. My son is REALLY into hockey right now (3yr old) and this has provided hours of self-entertainment for him (I'll admit, I enjoy playing with it too - even our 13yr old sits down and plays this! Many of the pieces could be choking hazards so this would not be appropriate for the under 3 set and I think the manual dexterity needed to move the players and control the goalie would actually make this best for children over 4 to avoid frustration. The rink also features removable side boards revealing ramps, as Playmobil also offers a Zamboni ice cleaning tractor.It did take some time with some tiny connection pieces and a lot of stickering but it was not unreasonable. But never fear, for Playmobil has even included two goalies in the play set that attach to a rig in the goal.

If you know anything about Playmobil, you already know that they pride themselves on being hyper-detailed. My son has been playing with anybody and everybody who has entered this house, including his aunt who was visiting from Vancouver. And while we may have picked up this tradition for the holidays, I think we’ll keep it going all year round.Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are trademarks of the National Hockey League. And here’s something I discovered that I’m not even sure Playmobil thought of, you can put the goalie on his action feature sideways.

But waaaaaaaaait a minute,” says the sharp-eyed reader, “Where did those New York Rangers players come from? I am passionate about writing, photography, hiking, travelling, exercising, and spending time outdoors with my family. This amount includes seller specified domestic postage charges as well as applicable international postage, dispatch, and other fees. I played it with my family and friends, with the extra special nice tabletop game with the cool figures saved for the holidays.With the NHL Hockey Arena, Playmobil will let you trick out your rink with players from your favorite NHL team, as well as the aforementioned Zamboni, referees, and even the presenters of the Stanley Cup. The ability to customize the set with your favourite teams or your favourite team and their arch nemesis is a antastic option. At his last birthday my poor deprived child begged and pleaded for the new Playmobil Arena but I put my foot down and said absolutely not. While none of them wear official NHL team colors (don’t worry, Playmobil still has you covered, we’ll get to that) they do sport the official NHL Shield logo on their jerseys and helmets. Position your goalie to cut off the angle and experience all the incredible details that make hockey so amazing.