LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs speaks after being revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports' "NHL 20" video game during the 2019 NHL Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A handful of teams have come up with the creative solution of simulating their games in NHL 20 and broadcasting them on social media to pass the time without hockey.

While real life games of hockey have taken a back seat over the last week, teams are doing all that they can to give their fans a sense of normalcy in any way possible. As such, many hockey teams are turning to NHL 20 to play out the regular season games they were set to play before the NHL paused its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Teams such as the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes have already started to stream or are set to stream simulated recreations of their regular season hockey games in NHL 20. The idea itself isn’t new — as many fans are already taking the idea and running with it in their own simulations during these sports-less days — but to see the teams themselves get into the act is a nice change of pace.

The official EA Sports NHL Twitter account has been simulating the games as well on their own, but are just posting the scores each day instead of livestreaming the games themselves.

https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1240812164287352832

We're back! (sorta) Watch the #Canes take on the Blues in our @EASPORTSNHL simulated game https://t.co/klrmPwduv6 — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 19, 2020

The Capitals, however, are going one step further with this model, as they’ll be putting these simulated games live on television on NBC Sports Washington for all fans to see. On Tuesday March 24 at 7 p.m. ET, the simulated Capitals will take on the simulated St. Louis Blues, which will also feature live commentary from the NBC Sports Washington announcers over the 60 minute game.

“We hope that these fun and engaging video game simulations will entertain our fans and help provide a greater sense of normalcy during these challenging times” said Zach Leonsis, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Monumental Sports & Entertainment and General Manager of Monumental Sports Network. “We hope that when people tune in and watch these simulated games, they will be able to enjoy some friendly competitive play from the comforts of their own home.”

The idea is a neat one, and one that very well could be picked up by other teams as we remain without hockey for the foreseeable future.

Follow FanSided NHL for more news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage about hockey in all forms throughout the entire 2019-20 NHL season and beyond.