NHL video games have been around for decades, pulling in hockey fans and even non-hockey fans with their realistic graphics and engaging gameplay. While many are out looking at the latest NHL predictions today, others are creating their own within the games.
There are many interesting facts about these games that many don’t know, and below is a list of some of those facts over the many years of NHL related video games.
One of the oldest NHL related video games is the original game called Ice Hockey, which was released in 1988. It was built for the Atari 2600, making it one of the earliest hockey games to be released on any video game console.
NHL video games have evolved significantly throughout the years, much like other video games, which is another fascinating fact about them. The graphics and playability have significantly advanced since the 1990s. 8-bit graphics were used in the original Ice Hockey, in contrast to the ultra-realistic visuals and graphics used in today’s NHL games.
The EA Sports NHL series has been one of the most popular sports video games over the years. This series has been around since the early 1990s and is renowned for its longevity and quality. EA Sports NHL games have sold over 20 million copies to date, with a new NHL player featured as the “cover athlete” each year.
One interesting fact about the EA Sports cover athlete is that they have made a change to an original cover athlete. In 2004, after a car crash resulted in the death of teammate Dan Snyder, EA Sports pulled and replaced Dany Heatley as the cover athlete and replaced him with Colorado Avalanche legend Joe Sakic. Many can still find the original cover on places like eBay.
One of the most popular NHL titles is NHL 94, which was one of the first hockey games to feature realistic hockey play, such as slap shots and body checking. It was so popular that it was created for the Sega Genesis console.
EA Sports has since built the NHL 94 rewind that allows fans to play with current teams but in the old 8-bit style of NHL 94. This game was also featured in the Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreu movie “Swingers,” where two characters face each other using the LA Kings with Wayne Gretkzy himself on the team.
The NHL series also includes several spin-offs and games away from EA Sports with different gameplay mechanics. These include the NHL Hitz series, which features an exaggerated and arcade-style version of hockey.
Another was Gretzky NHL 06, which was built around “The Great One”, Wayne Gretzky. 2K Sports also created a yearly NHL game starting in 2005 but ended in 2014 after the increasing popularity of the EA Sports series.
The most recent NHL games have incorporated features such as a 3-on-3 mode, which allows players to control three players at once. This mode also allows fans to play as NHL team mascots such as Griddy. This mode allows for multiple video game players to join the same team or face off against each other as well as play online against other gamers.
EA Sports NHL 22 was the first video game in their series to feature women’s teams available to play. Both International Ice Hockey Federation women’s national teams and the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship were added, allowing fans to play as teams like Team Canada or Team USA. The feature was a major hit and allowed them to continue importing these teams into NHL 23. EA Sports expanded NHL 23 by adding women players to the Ultimate Team feature.
NHL 09 was the first game that featured the popular “Be A Pro” mode that allows gamers to create a player from scratch and play out their career in the NHL from being drafted to retirement.
The game originally started with just the NHL and minor league AHL teams but has since expanded to allow fans to play in Europe or in junior leagues to start their career before they get drafted to an NHL team. Now, features like player interviews as well as teammate and agent interactions, exist within the game that can help boost players’ morale and skill points.