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{{short description|Ice hockey video game series}}
{{Infobox CVG| title = NHL 07
{{for|the NHL 2K series|NHL 2K}}
| image = [[Image:933705_76765_front.jpg|200px|center]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
| caption = [[Alexander Ovechkin]] on the cover of NHL 07
{{Infobox video game series
| developer = [[EA Canada]]
| title = NHL
| publisher = [[EA Sports]]
| image = [[File:Easports nhl logo.png|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| engine =
| image_size = 200
| released = [[September 12]], [[2006]]
| platforms = [[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive/Genesis]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[Sega CD]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Game Boy]], [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Nintendo 64]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[GameCube]], [[Game Gear]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[PlayStation Portable]], [[Xbox 360]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Wii]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 5]], [[Xbox Series X/S]]
| genre = [[Sports game|Sports - Ice Hockey Sim]]
| developer = {{collapsible list|title=[[EA Vancouver]] |'''Previous developers:'''<br />[[Budcat Creations]], [[EA Montreal]], High Score Productions, [[Park Place Productions]], [[Tiertex Design Studios]], [[Visual Concepts]], [[HB Studios]]}}
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer game|multiplayer]], multiplayer [[online]]
| publisher = [[EA Sports]]
| ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: Everyone (E) 10+
| genre = [[Sports game|Sports]] ([[ice hockey]])
| platforms = [[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox]], [[Xbox 360]], [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], [[Personal computer|PC]]
| mediafirst release version = ''[[DVD]],NHL [[UMDHockey]]''
| first release date = August 1991
| input = [[game controller]]
| latest release version = ''[[NHL 25]]''
| latest release date = October 4, 2024
}}
The '''''NHL series''''' is a [[video game]] series based on the [[National Hockey League]] by [[EA Sports]]. The first version was released for the [[Sega Mega Drive]] in [[1992]], and since then it has been available on most major gaming platforms. Currently, it is available for the [[personal computer|PC]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]], and [[Xbox]]. NHL 07 will be available on the [[Xbox 360]] and the [[PlayStation Portable]], as well.
 
'''''NHL''''' (colloquially referred to as '''Chel'''<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-05|title=Hockey Player Lingo: The Ultimate Dictionary|url=https://thehockeywriters.com/how-to-talk-like-a-hockey-player/|access-date=2021-03-13|website=The Hockey Writers|language=en-US}}</ref>) is a series of professional [[ice hockey]] simulation [[video game]]s developed by [[EA Vancouver]] and published yearly by [[Electronic Arts]] under the [[EA Sports]] brand. The game is developed under license from the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), which enables the use of the league's team names, arenas and colors in the game, and the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]] (NHLPA), which enables the use of the league's player names and likenesses.
==Features==
The NHL series has introduced brand-new features for years. The most recent being the Free-4-All mini-game introduced in NHL 2005, letting gamers compete with each other by scoring goals on one-goaltender either in a certain time limit or until someone scores a certain amount of goals. With appropriate settings, defensemen can be incorporated into the game, making it more challenging.
 
== Installments ==
Also recent is the inclusion of some European leagues. [[Germany]]'s [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga]], [[Sweden]]'s [[Elitserien]] and [[Finland]]'s [[SM-liiga]] have been introduced in NHL 2004 and has expanded to include [[Czech Republic]]'s [[Tipsport Extraliga]] in NHL 07. Before NHL 07, users could only have a season and play an exhibition with each Elite League's team. Now, users can bring an elite team into the Dynasty mode.
In ''[[NHL Hockey]]'' from 1991, the game modes were season and playoff, and due to the license, the game was called ''EA Hockey'' in [[Europe]] and featured 22 national teams instead. ''[[NHLPA Hockey '93]]'' was without the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] license, so instead of NHL team names and logos, there were only [[City|cities]]. Game modes added in ''[[NHL 95]]'' were exhibition, training, shootout and the possibility to edit and trade individual players in teams. On PC, ''[[NHL 96]]'' was in [[3D computer graphics|3D]] with [[2D computer graphics|2D]] player textures, fights are back (most recently in the first two games). ''[[NHL 97]]'' was the first full 3D installment, the national teams of [[Canada]], [[United States|USA]] and [[Russia]] have been added, the other two teams contain a compilation of the best European players. In ''[[NHL&nbsp;98]]'', 18 national teams were already included. In NHL 99, the career mode was added and in NHL 2000, the tournament mode.
 
{{GamePlatformKey|col=3|tot=21|DOS|GB|GBA|GBC|GCN|GG|N64|PS1|PS2|PS3|PS4|PS5|PSP|Sat|SCD|SMD|SNES|Wii|Win|Xbox|X360|XBO|XSX/S}}
A revamped Create-A-Player feature is available after being taken out of NHL 2005. Gone are the pre-modeled faces to choose from and in comes facial sculpting, inspired from the Tiger Woods' video games. Create-A-Team has remained the same. Players have the ability to recreate defunct or vintage teams, or start new ones with plenty of logos and jersey designs to choose from. The [[Hartford Whalers]] logo is not included due to the fact that the city of [[Hartford]] owns the team's rights and has prohibited the team's inclusion in the game. Create-A-Team is not available for the [[Xbox 360]]game.
 
{| class="wikitable"
A Shootout mode is introduced in NHL 07, simulating a real shootout. It is used to get players familiarized with the new controls for the [[Xbox 360]] version of the game, as well as a means to practice shooting in general. Users have the ability to turn shootout rules on or off. Shootout options in actual games will always be on.
! Title
! Year
! Platforms
! Standard edition cover athletes, worldwide
! Cover athletes, specific regions and editions
|-
| ''[[NHL Hockey]]'' || 1991 || [[Mega Drive|SMD]]
|{{unbulleted list|[[Glenn Healy]] <small>([[Los Angeles Kings]])</small>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHLPA Hockey '93]]'' || 1992 || SMD, [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]
| {{unbulleted list|[[Rod Brind'Amour]] <small>([[Philadelphia Flyers|Philadelphia]])</small>|[[Mike Richter]] <small>([[New York Rangers]])</small>|[[Randy Moller]] <small>([[New York Rangers]])</small>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHL '94]]'' || 1993 || [[DOS]]{{Ref|†|†}}, [[Mega-CD|SCD]], SMD, SNES
| {{unbulleted list|[[Tomas Sandström|Tomas Sandstrom]] <small>([[Los Angeles Kings|Los Angeles]])</small>|[[Andy Moog]] <small>([[Boston Bruins|Boston]])</small>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 95]]'' || 1994 || DOS, [[Game Boy|GB]], [[Game Gear|GG]]{{Ref|†|†}}, SMD, SNES
| {{unbulleted list|[[Alexei Kovalev]] <small>([[New York Rangers]])</small>|[[Kirk McLean]] <small>([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]])</small>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 96]]'' || 1995 || DOS, GB, SMD, SNES
| {{unbulleted list|[[Scott Stevens]] <small>([[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]])</small>|[[Steve Yzerman]] <small>([[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit]])</small>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 97]]'' || 1996 || DOS, [[PlayStation (console)|PS1]], [[Sega Saturn|Sat]], SMD, SNES, [[Microsoft Windows|Win]]
| [[John Vanbiesbrouck]] <small>([[Florida Panthers|Florida]])</small><ref name="oldcovers">{{cite web |last=Bonanno |first=Rocky |work=[[National Hockey League|NHL.com]] |title=Kane lands on EA SPORTS NHL 10 cover |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=426224 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628180841/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=426224 |archive-date=2011-06-28 |date=2009-06-22 |access-date=2010-06-28 }}</ref> || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 98]]'' || 1997 || PS1, Sat, SMD, SNES, Win
| [[Peter Forsberg]] <small>([[Colorado Avalanche|Colorado]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/> || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 99]]'' || 1998 || [[Nintendo 64|N64]], PS1, Win
| [[Eric Lindros]] <small>([[Philadelphia Flyers|Philadelphia]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/> || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 2000]]'' || 1999 || [[Game Boy Color|GBC]], PS1, Win
| [[Chris Pronger]] <small>([[St. Louis Blues|St. Louis]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|EU|EU}} [[Markus Näslund|Markus Naslund]] <small>([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]])</small><ref name="curse">{{cite web |last= Brown |first=Erin |work=[[CBS Sports]] |title=EA's NHL series: cursed or not? |url=http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/5966927/16559198 |date=2009-08-11 |access-date=2010-06-28 }}</ref><ref name="swedencovers">{{cite web|title=NHL 10 cover athlete: Nicklas Bäckström |url=http://eyego.modula.no/www.nhlinformer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=1 |work=NHL Informer |accessdate=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626092624/http://eyego.modula.no/www.nhlinformer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=1 |archivedate=June 26, 2009 }}</ref>|{{Ref|CZE|CZE}} [[Richard Šmehlík|Richard Smehlik]] <small>([[Buffalo Sabres|Buffalo]])</small>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 2001]]'' || 2000 || PS1, [[PlayStation 2|PS2]], Win
| [[Owen Nolan]] <small>([[San Jose Sharks|San Jose]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|EU|EU}} [[Jere Lehtinen]] <small>([[Dallas Stars|Dallas]])</small><ref name="curse"/>|{{Ref|CZE|CZE}} [[Martin Ručinský|Martin Rucinsky]] <small>([[Montreal Canadiens|Montreal]])</small>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 2002]]'' || 2001 || [[Game Boy Advance|GBA]], PS2, Win, [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
| [[Mario Lemieux]] <small>([[Pittsburgh Penguins|Pittsburgh]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/> || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 2003]]'' || 2002 || [[GameCube|GCN]], PS2, Win, Xbox
| [[Jarome Iginla]] <small>([[Calgary Flames|Calgary]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|CZE|CZE}} [[Patrik Eliáš|Patrik Elias]] <small>([[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]])</small>|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Saku Koivu]] <small>([[Montreal Canadiens|Montreal]])</small>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 2004]]'' || 2003 || GCN, PS2, Win, Xbox
| {{unbulleted list|[[Dany Heatley]] <small>([[Atlanta Thrashers|Atlanta]])</small>{{Ref|‡|‡}}|[[Joe Sakic]] <small>([[Colorado Avalanche|Colorado]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>}} || –
|-
| ''[[NHL 2005]]'' || 2004 || GCN, PS2, Win, Xbox
| [[Markus Näslund|Markus Naslund]] <small>(Vancouver)</small><ref name="oldcovers"/><ref name="swedencovers"/>
| {{Ref|EU|EU}} [[Olli Jokinen]] <small>([[Florida Panthers|Florida]])</small><ref name="curse"/>
|-
| ''[[NHL 06]]'' || 2005 || GCN, PS2, Win, Xbox
| [[Vincent Lecavalier]] <small>([[Tampa Bay Lightning|Tampa Bay]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{Ref|EU|EU}} [[Tuomo Ruutu]] <small>([[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago]])</small><ref name="curse"/>
|-
| ''[[NHL 07]]'' || 2006 || [[Xbox 360|X360]], PS2, [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], Win, Xbox
| [[Alexander Ovechkin]] <small>([[Washington Capitals|Washington]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Teemu Selänne]] <small>([[Anaheim Ducks|Anaheim]])</small><ref name="curse"/>|{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Henrik Lundqvist]] <small>([[New York Rangers]])</small><ref name="curse"/><ref name="swedencovers"/>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 08]]'' || 2007 || [[PlayStation 3|PS3]], X360, PS2, Win
| [[Eric Staal]] <small>([[Carolina Hurricanes|Carolina]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|CZE|CZE}}[[Jaromír Jágr]] <small>([[New York Rangers]])</small><ref name="curse"/>|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Teemu Selänne]] <small>([[Anaheim Ducks|Anaheim]])</small><ref name="curse"/>|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Mark Streit]] <small>([[Montreal Canadiens|Montreal]])</small><ref name="curse"/>|{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Henrik Zetterberg]] <small>([[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit]])</small><ref name="curse"/><ref name="swedencovers"/>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 09]]'' || 2008 || PS3, X360, PS2, Win
| [[Dion Phaneuf]] <small>([[Calgary Flames|Calgary]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/><ref name="09cover">[http://www.destructoid.com/dion-phaneuf-announced-as-nhl-09-cover-athlete-in-most-regions-89887.phtml Dion Phaneuf named worldwide cover athlete of EA's NHL 09] [press release]. [[Redwood City]]: [[Electronic Arts|Electronic Arts Inc.]]; 2008-06-09 [cited 2010-06-15].</ref>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|RUS|RUS}} [[Alexander Ovechkin]] <small>([[Washington Capitals|Washington]])</small><ref name="09cover"/>|{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Daniel Alfredsson]] <small>([[Ottawa Senators|Ottawa]])</small><ref name="swedencovers"/><ref name="09cover"/>|{{Ref|CZE|CZE}} [[Patrik Eliáš|Patrik Elias]] <small>([[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]])</small>{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}}}
|-
| ''[[3 on 3 NHL Arcade]]'' || 2009 || PS3, X360
| None
| –
|-
| ''[[NHL 10]]'' || 2009 || PS3, X360
| [[Patrick Kane]] <small>([[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago]])</small><ref name="oldcovers"/><ref name="10cover">{{cite web|author=Samit Sarkar|title=Watch the NHL 10 international cover athletes do their thing |url=http://www.destructoid.com/watch-the-nhl-10-international-cover-athletes-do-their-thing-139683.phtml|work=[[Destructoid]]|date=2009-07-13|accessdate=2010-06-14}}</ref>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|DEN|DEN}} [[Mikkel Bødker|Mikkel Boedker]] <small>([[Arizona Coyotes|Phoenix]])</small><ref name="10cover"/>|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Mikko Koivu]] <small>([[Minnesota Wild|Minnesota]])</small><ref name="10cover"/>|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Mark Streit]] <small>([[New York Islanders]])</small><ref name="10cover"/>|{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Nicklas Bäckström|Nicklas Backstrom]] <small>([[Washington Capitals|Washington]])</small><ref name="swedencovers"/><ref name="10cover"/>}}In Switzerland, special slip covers were made featuring a player from each team in the Swiss [[National League (ice hockey)|National League]]. These were sold through each team's online storefront and limited to 400 copies per team.
|-
| ''[[NHL 11]]'' || 2010 || PS3, X360
| [[Jonathan Toews]] <small>([[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago]])</small><ref name="11cover">[[EA Sports]]. [http://www.ea.com/news/jonathan-toews-the-new-face-of-ea-sports-nhl-11 Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Toews the New Face of EA SPORTS NHL 11] [press release]. 21 June 2010 [cited 21 June 2010].</ref>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Daniel Sedin|Daniel]] and [[Henrik Sedin]] <small>([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]])</small><ref name="11cover Sweden">{{cite web |author=Jonas Elfving |website=Game reactor |language=sv|title=Sedin-bröderna på NHL 11-omslag |trans-title=Needs translation |url=http://www.gamereactor.se/nyheter/23147/Sedin-br%F6derna+p%E5+NHL+11-omslag/ |date=2010-06-23 |accessdate=2010-06-23 }}</ref>|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Mark Streit]] <small>(NY Islanders)</small><ref name="11cover Swiss">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100628041040/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/06/the-swiss-and-the-swedes-get-their-own-nhl-11/ The Swiss And The Swedes Get Their Own NHL 11]. 24 June 2010 [cited 24 June 2010].</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL Slapshot]]'' || 2010 || [[Wii]]
| [[Wayne Gretzky]] <small>([[Edmonton Oilers|Edmonton]])</small>
| –
|-
| ''[[NHL 12]]'' || 2011 || PS3, X360
| [[Steven Stamkos]] <small>([[Tampa Bay Lightning|Tampa Bay]])</small>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Jonas Hiller]] <small>([[Anaheim Ducks|Anaheim]])</small><ref name="12cover Swiss">[http://www.lematin.ch/sports/hockey/nhl/jonas-hiller-en-couverture-de-nhl-12 / Jonas Hiller en couverture de NHL 12] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207194145/http://www.lematin.ch/sports/hockey/nhl/jonas-hiller-en-couverture-de-nhl-12/ |date=February 7, 2017 }}. 27 June 2011 [cited 27 June 2011].</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 13]]'' || 2012 || PS3, X360
| [[Claude Giroux]] <small>([[Philadelphia Flyers|Philadelphia]])</small>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Roman Josi]] <small>([[Nashville Predators|Nashville]])</small>|In Ottawa, Canada, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[Mika Zibanejad]] <small>([[Ottawa Senators|Ottawa]])</small>.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}|In Quebec, Canada, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[P. K. Subban]] <small>([[Montreal Canadiens|Montreal]])</small>.<ref name="curse"/>|In Vancouver, Canada, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[Henrik Sedin]] <small>([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]])</small>.<ref>{{cite web |title=Henrik Sedin at NHL 13 Midnight Launch [Pictures] |url=https://604now.com/henrik-sedin-at-nhl-13-midnight-launch-pictures/ |date=September 12, 2012 |work= 604 Now |access-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref>|In Finland, a special edition was made, featuring [[Jari Kurri]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pelaajalehti.com/uutiset/uudesta-anarista-jari-kurrin-arvoinen-erikoisversio | title=Uudesta änäristä Jari Kurrin arvoinen erikoisversio | date=13 July 2012 | publisher=Pelaaja | access-date=April 9, 2018 | language=fi | archive-date=March 27, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327091337/https://www.pelaajalehti.com/uutiset/uudesta-anarista-jari-kurrin-arvoinen-erikoisversio | url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 14]]'' || 2013 || PS3, X360
| [[Martin Brodeur]] <small>([[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]])</small>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Roman Josi]] <small>([[Nashville Predators|Nashville]])</small>|In Edmonton, at the [[West Edmonton Mall]], [[EB Games]] had a special alternative cover, showing [[Jordan Eberle]] <small>([[Edmonton Oilers|Edmonton]])</small>.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}|In Toronto, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[James van Riemsdyk]] <small>([[Toronto Maple Leafs|Toronto]])</small>.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} <br /> In Ottawa, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[Craig Anderson (ice hockey)|Craig Anderson]] <small>([[Ottawa Senators|Ottawa]])</small>.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}|In Sweden, special edition alternative covers were made, showing [[William Karlsson]] <small>([[HV71]])</small>, [[Mattias Janmark-Nylén|Mattias Janmark]] <small>([[AIK IF]])</small>, [[Patrik Hersley]] <small>([[Leksands IF]])</small>, [[Linus Klasen]] <small>([[Luleå HF]])</small>, and [[Dick Axelsson]] <small>([[Frölunda HC]])</small>.<ref>[https://www.shl.se/artikel/46215/ Här är omslagen till NHL 14 EA Sports Club Edition - SHL.se] (Swedish)</ref>|In Finland, special editions were made for each [[Liiga]] team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.liiga.fi/arkisto/uutiset/sm-liigan-joukkueet-saivat-persoonalliset-nhl14-kannet.html |title=SM-liigan joukkueet saivat persoonalliset NHL14 -kannet - Liiga |access-date=2014-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808065642/http://www.liiga.fi/arkisto/uutiset/sm-liigan-joukkueet-saivat-persoonalliset-nhl14-kannet.html |archive-date=2014-08-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 15]]'' || 2014 || [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One|XBO]], PS3, X360
| [[Patrice Bergeron]] <small>([[Boston Bruins|Boston]])</small>
| {{unbulleted list|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Nino Niederreiter]] <small>([[Minnesota Wild|Minnesota]])</small><ref name="14cover Swiss">[http://www.20min.ch/ro/sports/hockey/story/18722435 «El Nino» est prêt à faire chauffer les glaces de NHL]. 22 July 2014 [cited 23 July 2014].</ref>|In Toronto, at a surprise autograph signing in a downtown [[Tim Hortons]], a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[James van Riemsdyk]] <small>([[Toronto Maple Leafs|Toronto]])</small>.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}|In Edmonton, a special edition alternative cover was made, showing [[Justin Schultz]] <small>([[Edmonton Oilers|Edmonton]])</small>.|In Sweden, special edition alternative covers were made, showing [[Niclas Andersén|Niclas Andersen]] <small>([[Brynäs IF]])</small>, [[Mattias Tedenby]] <small>([[HV71]])</small>, [[Samuel Påhlsson]] <small>([[Modo Hockey|MODO]])</small>, [[Mikael Tellqvist]] <small>([[Djurgårdens IF Hockey|Djurgårdens IF]])</small>, [[Jens Bergenström]] <small>([[Leksands IF]])</small>, [[Erik Forssell]] <small>([[Skellefteå AIK|Skellefteå]])</small>, [[Robin Figren]] <small>([[Frölunda HC]])</small>, [[Chad Kolarik]] <small>([[Linköpings HC]])</small>, [[Tomi Kallio]] <small>([[Växjö Lakers|Växjö]])</small>, [[Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel]] <small>([[Färjestad BK]])</small>, [[Per Ledin]] <small>([[Luleå HF]])</small>, and [[Jared Aulin]] <small>([[Örebro HK]])</small>.<ref>[http://www.shl.se/artikel/58323/ Spelarna som pryder specialomslagen av EA SPORTS NHL 15] (Swedish)</ref>|In Finland, special editions were made for each [[Liiga]] team.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://liiga.fi/uutiset/2014/08/22/ea-julkaisee-nhl15-pelista-liiga-edition-kerailyversion | title=EA julkaisee NHL15 –pelistä Liiga Edition -keräilyversion | publisher=Liiga | access-date=April 9, 2018 |language=fi}}</ref>}}
|-
| ''[[NHL 16]]'' || 2015 || PS4, XBO
| [[Jonathan Toews]] <small>([[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago]])</small>{{Ref|‡|‡|‡}}
| {{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Nino Niederreiter]] <small>([[Minnesota Wild]])</small>
|-
| ''NHL: Legacy Edition'' || 2015 || PS3, X360
| None <small>([[Stanley Cup]] pictured instead)</small>
| –
|-
| ''[[NHL 17]]'' || 2016 || PS4, XBO
| [[Vladimir Tarasenko]] <small>([[St. Louis Blues|St. Louis]])</small>
| {{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Nino Niederreiter]] {{small|([[Minnesota Wild|Minnesota]])}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/nhl-17-ea-sports-minnesota-wild-nino-niederreiter-072816 | title=Minnesota Wild's Nino Niederreiter to appear on Swiss cover of NHL 17 | work=[[FOX Sports]] | date=July 28, 2016 | access-date=July 29, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|''[[NHL 18]]''
|2017
|PS4, XBO
|[[Connor McDavid]] ([[Edmonton Oilers|<small>Edmonton</small>]])
|{{Ref|SUI|SUI}} [[Roman Josi]] <small>([[Nashville Predators|Nashville]])</small> (The Josi cover was officially released as a downloadable cover by EA Sports, but the McDavid cover was sold at retail in Switzerland)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://media.contentapi.ea.com//content/dam/ea/easports/nhl/buy-page/nhl18/nhl18-swiss/nhl18-roman-josi-ps4_fr_de_it.pdf | title=Roman Josi PS4 Cover | publisher=[[EA Sports]] | date=October 11, 2017 | access-date=March 14, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195913/https://media.contentapi.ea.com//content/dam/ea/easports/nhl/buy-page/nhl18/nhl18-swiss/nhl18-roman-josi-ps4_fr_de_it.pdf | archive-date=March 15, 2018 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| ''[[NHL 19]]'' || 2018 || PS4, XBO
| [[P. K. Subban]] ([[Nashville Predators|<small>Nashville</small>]])
|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Patrik Laine]] <small>([[Winnipeg Jets|Winnipeg]])</small><ref name="gamereactor.se">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamereactor.se/nyheter/641323/William+Nylander+pryder+NHL+19omslaget+i+Sverige/?sid=eab9ba16335d7ba7833219c7f1319287 |title=William Nylander pryder NHL 19-omslaget i Sverige |date=2 August 2018 |website=Gamereactor |access-date=3 August 2018 |language=sv}}</ref><br />{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[William Nylander]] <small>([[Toronto Maple Leafs|Toronto]])</small><ref name="gamereactor.se"/>
Ultimate edition: [[Wayne Gretzky]] <small>([[Edmonton Oilers|Edmonton]])</small>
|-
| ''[[NHL 20]]'' || 2019 || PS4, XBO
| [[Auston Matthews]] ([[Toronto Maple Leafs|<small>Toronto</small>]])
|{{Ref|FIN|FIN}} [[Patrik Laine]] <small>([[Winnipeg Jets|Winnipeg]])</small><br />{{Ref|SWE|SWE}} [[Elias Pettersson]] <small>([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]])</small>
|-
| ''[[NHL 21]]'' || 2020 || PS4, XBO
|[[Alexander Ovechkin]] (<small>[[Washington Capitals|Washington]]</small>)
| –
|-
|''[[NHL 22]]''
|2021
|PS4, XBO, [[PlayStation 5|PS5]], [[XSX/S]]
|[[Auston Matthews]] ([[Toronto Maple Leafs|<small>Toronto</small>]])
|–
|-
|''[[NHL 23]]''
|2022
|PS4, XBO, PS5, XSX/S
|[[Trevor Zegras]] ([[Anaheim Ducks|<small>Anaheim</small>]]) and [[Sarah Nurse]] ([[Canada women's national ice hockey team|<small>Canada</small>]])
|–
|-
|''[[NHL 24]]''
|2023
|PS4, XBO, PS5, XSX/S
|[[Cale Makar]] ([[Colorado Avalanche|<small>Colorado</small>]])
|–
|-
|''[[NHL 25]]''
|2024
|PS5, XSX/S
|[[Quinn Hughes]] (<small>[[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]]</small>)
|{{Ref|US|US}} [[Jack Hughes]] (<small>[[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]]</small>)
Deluxe edition: [[Luke Hughes (ice hockey)|Luke Hughes]] (<small>[[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]]</small>) along with his brothers Quinn and Jack. This version wasn't released in a physical format.
|-
|''[[NHL 26]]''
|2025
|PS5, XSX/S
|[[Matthew Tkachuk]] (<small>[[Florida Panthers|Florida]]</small>)
|Deluxe edition: [[Brady Tkachuk]] <small>([[Ottawa Senators|Ottawa]])</small> and [[Keith Tkachuk]] <small>([[St. Louis Blues|St. Louis]])</small> along with Matthew.
|-
|}
 
{{smalldiv|1=
The [[World Cup of Hockey]] was a feature in NHL 2005, coinciding with said event featuring authentic rosters and uniforms. Infamously, it has been relabeled as EA Sports' World Tournament in NHL 06 and NHL 07 with fantasy jerseys who feature flags rather than team logos and rosters based on the [[Winter Olympics]] in Torino, Italy (with [[EA Sports]]' roster update) because of the lack of the [[IIHF]] license.
: {{Note|†|†}}as ''NHL Hockey''
 
: {{Note|‡|‡}}[[Joe Thornton]] was originally chosen, but EA switched to [[Dany Heatley]] after Thornton was accused of assaulting two police officers. Thornton's cover was never produced. After the [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04 season]] had begun, Heatley was involved in a car crash that killed teammate [[Dan Snyder (ice hockey)|Dan Snyder]], prompting EA to switch covers to one featuring [[Joe Sakic]].<ref name="curse"/>
Exclusive to the [[Xbox 360]] NHL 07 title is a new control scheme. Users will now primarily use the left and right analog sticks. The left stick is used to move a selected player and the right stick is used to pass and shoot, giving players total control of their shots and passes. A Shootout mode will instantly run when the Xbox 360 game is loaded for the first time to give users a feel for the controls.
: {{Note|‡|‡|‡}}[[Patrick Kane]] was originally slated to share the cover with teammate [[Jonathan Toews]], however, following sexual assault claims made against Kane, he was dropped from the cover.<ref name="KaneDropped">{{cite web |author=Mike Cole |work=[[NESN]] |title=EA Sports Pulls Patrick Kane From 'NHL 16' Cover Amid Reported Rape Investigation |url=http://nesn.com/2015/08/ea-sports-pulls-patrick-kane-from-nhl-16-cover-amid-reported-rape-investigation/ |date=2015-08-12 |accessdate=2015-08-15 }}</ref>
 
: {{Note|EU|EU}}in Europe; {{Note|DEN|DEN}}in {{flag|Denmark|size=15px}}; {{Note|FIN|FIN}}in {{flag|Finland|size=15px}}; {{Note|RUS|RUS}}in {{flag|Russia|size=15px}}; {{Note|SWE|SWE}}in {{flag|Sweden|size=15px}}; {{Note|SUI|SUI}} in {{flag|Switzerland|size=13px}}; {{Note|CZE|CZE}}in {{flag|Czech Republic|size=15px}}; {{Note|US|US}}in {{flag|United States|size=15px}}
==The series==
}}
===NHL Hockey (1991)===
[[Image:NHL Hockey (1991).jpg|thumb|150px|right|'''''NHL Hockey'''''.]]
The first version of the game, titled ''NHL Hockey'', was released in August of 1991 for the Sega Genesis. It was considered the most realistic hockey game of its time. The game uses a vertical view, which was unique at the time since most previous hockey games use horizontal or top-down views. It also features an [[National Hockey League|NHL]] license but not a license from the [[NHL Players' Association|NHLPA]] (National Hockey League Players' Association). Therefore, the team names and [[logo]]s are all present, but no players' names are mentioned. Instead, all players are referred to by their numbers. The [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive]] version was released soon after, called ''EA Hockey'' and features international teams. However, this change is merely cosmetic, as most team colors can be tracked to NHL teams. Although the game has all NHL teams that existed at the time, the only competition present are the [[Playoff]]s, either decided on one or seven matches.
 
===NHLPA Hockey 93===
[[Image:NHLPA Hockey 93.jpg|thumb|right|150px|'''''NHLPA Hockey 93''''']]
The next release was titled ''NHLPA Hockey '93'' and while having an NHLPA license, it does not have an NHL license. Due to the lack of an NHL license, the game includes all player names and numbers but not real team names or logos. Instead, teams are identified by their city and colors. This means that the [[New York Islanders]] are referred to as "[[Long Island]]", even though the official name does designate the team as such. Also introduced are [[Tampa Bay Lightning|Tampa Bay]] and [[Ottawa Senators|Ottawa]] to the 22 teams of ''NHL Hockey''. The Genesis version also includes [[EEPROM]] battery saving, which allows one to save lines and the ongoing Playoff, rather than use [[password (video games)|passwords]].
 
The game also started a dispute between EA and the ice hockey ruling bodies over what could be included in the licensed game. In the game injured players often bleed, mis-aimed shots can break the glass behind the net, and the [[instruction manual (computer and video games)|instruction manual]] makes references to injuring opposing key players, stating "Player injuries &mdash; it's a part of the game. Knock key opposing players out of the game with an extra hard body check." Neither the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] nor the NHLPA approved these additions to the game, and thus fighting and blood were removed in the next version, ''NHL Hockey 94''. Since they are considered harmful to the sport's image {{fact}}. Single period and entire game player injuries remained. This could be seen as the motivator for EA's creation of [[Mutant League Hockey]], with its emphasis on fighting, blood, and miscellaneous bad sportsmanship.
 
NHLPA Hockey 93 for the Sega Genesis received an entire scene in the movie Swingers with Vince Vaughn using the Chicago Blackhawks' Jeremy Roenick to injure the LA Kings' Wayne Gretzky. From the dialogue, it's clear that the actors and/or writers are experienced with the game.
 
===NHL Hockey 94===
NHL Hockey 94 for Sega CD added over 100 low-quality video clips of previous season highlights and a full-screen video intro.
 
NHL Hockey 94 was also released for the PC with similar, but not exactly the same gameplay versus the console versions. It also added full season and transactions, as well as the full set of NHL awards. Despite these additions, the PC versions never reached the popularity of the 16-bit cartridges.
 
NHL Hockey 94 is included as #47 in IGN's Top 100 Games of All-Time [http://top100.ign.com/2005/041-050.html] and is named All-Time Greatest Sports Video Game by Boston.com and various gaming forums.
 
===NHL 95===
[[Image:NHL 95.jpg|thumb|right|150px|'''''NHL 95'''''.]]
With the next game in the series, ''NHL 95''; many changes are introduced. For the first time, a complete season can be played, players can be created and traded, and gameplay also has improvements with the inclusion of fake shots, drop passes and laying on the ice to block shots. Despite all the additions, it features several [[software bug]]s, particularly in the SNES version; which result in unrealistic bloated games (20-goal shootouts are not uncommon).
 
This year's cover features Alexei Kovalev of the New York Rangers scoring on Vancouver's Kirk McLean during the '94 Finals.
 
The PC version of NHL 95 retains the gameplay similar to NHL 94 on the console while allowing for complete seasons and created players.
 
===NHL 96===
[[Image:NHL 96.jpg|thumb|150px|right|'''''NHL 96''''']]
''NHL 96'' for the PC is the first game in the series to have multiple cameras, using EA's ''Virtual Stadium'' technology, which uses 2D sprites on a 3D environment. Fighting, and major and double minor penalties are reintroduced. The cover of the game features [[Steve Yzerman]] and [[Scott Stevens]], and the NHL's [[theme music|theme song]], (''Get Ready For This'' by [[2 Unlimited]]) is used as the game's main theme. The game includes the [[Quebec Nordiques]], but not the Colorado Avalanche; even though the team had moved before the start of the 1995-96 season.
 
===NHL 97===
 
''NHL 97'' took the graphics even farther ahead, using a full [[3D computer graphics|3D]] engine, with motion captured polygonal players. Each goaltender has his own custom-painted mask and the original artwork can be seen inside the game with a special "Goalie Mask Viewer". ''NHL 97'' also introduces play-by-play commentary, provided by well-known announcer [[Jim Hughson]].
 
For the first time since ''EA Hockey'', national teams were added. Although only [[Canada]], the [[United States]] and [[Russia]] have their own teams while the other two are selections of the best [[Europe|European]] players. Along with the PC, Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES versions, both the [[Sega Saturn]] and [[PlayStation]] version made their debut.
 
The cover of the game features [[Florida Panthers]]' goaltender [[John Vanbiesbrouck]].
 
===NHL 98===
 
''NHL 98'' took the series ahead by introducing full national teams (EA was not able to capture the [[1998 Winter Olympic Games|Nagano Olympic Tournament]] license due to lack of [[IIHF]] license, acquired by [[Gremlin Interactive]]). Jim Hughson returns for play-by-play, this time joined by [[Daryl Reaugh]] who provided color commentary. EA Sports also introduces 3Dfx Glide support for the first time in the NHL series.
 
The cover of the game features [[Colorado Avalanche]]'s forward [[Peter Forsberg]].
 
===Versions between NHL 99 and NHL 2001===
 
Between ''NHL 99'' and ''NHL 2002'' there were very few large improvements to the game. A career mode (later developed into a Franchise mode) with a retirement feature, drafting and player trades were added to the game. Furthermore, created players can use any photo for their face which is textured onto the head. Online leagues of the game also became more organized.
 
Daryl Reaugh left the series as color commentator following ''NHL 99''. Jim Hughson remained as play-by-play announcer throughout the series, with [[Bill Clement]] joining as an analyst for ''NHL 2000''.
 
The cover men of these games are:
 
NHL 99 - Ex-Philadelphia Flyers' forward, Eric Lindros.
NHL 2000 - Ex-St. Louis Blues' defenseman, Chris Pronger.
NHL 2000 (Europe) - Vancouver Canucks' wing, Markus Naslund.
NHL 2001 - Ex-San Jose Sharks' forward, Owen Nolan.
NHL 2001 (Europe) - Dallas Stars' wing, Jere Lehtinen.
 
===NHL 2002===
 
[[Bill Clement]] is replaced by [[Don Taylor (Canadian sportscaster)|Don Taylor]] for ''NHL 2002''. Taylor's quirky and often [[slapstick]] commentary style drew mixed reception from fans of the game.
 
The game's cover man is [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]' superstar [[Mario Lemieux]].
 
===NHL 2003===
{{Main|NHL 2003}}
NHL 2003 is a revolutionary version of the game. It's very detailed and clean-cut, with an improved graphics model; but has some flaws. It features out-of-control scoring and unrealistic gameplay, with regards to hitting and shooting. Jim Hughson and Don Taylor return as commentators. [[EA Trax]] are also introduced along with EA Sports' titles at the time.
 
Don Taylor makes very funny comments after saves, goals, hits, and more.
 
[[Calgary Flames]]' forward [[Jarome Iginla]] is the game's cover man.
 
===NHL 2004===
 
"NHL 2004", developed by the EA Black Box studios, add 3 European Elite Leagues - Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Sweden's Elitserien and Finland's SM-liiga. (This is not the first time that European teams are included in an EA game; EA released both Elitserien 95 and Elitserien 96 for the Mega Drive in Sweden only and Elitserien and SM-liiga 2001 as an expansion pack for PC in Sweden and Finland which included those teams). The game included many improvements to its gameplay (more realistic puck and rebound control and better checking) and game modes (a completely reworked franchise mode renamed "Dynasty"). In addition to the gameplay improvements, one particular non-gameplay improvement was added. When a team wins the Stanley Cup Finals, a large-scale celebration ensues. It included players skating around the ice holding the Cup over their heads. This then led to the common snapshot of the team and the coaches that holds true in the NHL. A "secret" song (Shatterday by Vendetta Red) plays while the animation shows the stats of the players in the picture, ending with the captain. Because of these additions, it was praised as one of the best games in the series to date. However, Dynasty mode got boring, as trades were very difficult to accept, and was 20 years. Commentary was also repetitive and the gameplay always felt slow.
 
Another new feature of ''NHL 2004'' was allowing the player to select when to fight, where previously it had been a somewhat random occurrence. When two players' names flashed onto the bottom of the screen, accompanied by the word "Fight!" and a bell sounding, the person playing the game could push a button to begin a fight, or hold off until a later time. Furthermore, goaltenders were able to fight (however, goalie fights are completely random, as the names of other players are shown at the bottom of the screen; also, goalies are not thrown out of a game for fighting; in real life, goaltenders who fight are given both a major for fighting and a minor for leaving the crease, resulting in game misconducts for both combatants).
 
Picking a cover athlete for ''NHL 2004'' proved to be problematic. [[Joe Thornton]] was the original choice but after he was brought up on assault charges, he was removed and replaced by [[Dany Heatley]] for the game's first shipments. After Heatley's car crash that killed his [[Atlanta Thrashers]] team-mate, [[Dan Snyder]], EA removed him and replaced the cover with [[Joe Sakic]] but not before a large number of units had already been shipped. As a result, both covers (Heatley and Sakic) made it into circulation.
 
===NHL 2005===
 
''NHL 2005'' features ''Open Ice Control'', which according to EA allows better control, including moving players without the puck and also a complete [[World Cup of Hockey|World Cup]] mode where each team can be created from scratch. The IIHF license which granted the World Cup mode also allowed EA to use real-life international jerseys for the first time (previously released games used unique jerseys designed by the game's staff which only bore a passing similarity to their real life counterparts, so the jersey shows their flag.) The PC version of the game was stripped down to the bare essentials, including the omitting of the create-a-player feature. These omissions were possibly due to the labour dispute that season, but EA explained that they hadn't perfected the new create-a-player interface, which would have allowed for far greater customizability that what was previously available. The game also suffered from overly-aggressive AI and was generally seen negatively. {{fact}}
 
[[Vancouver Canucks]] captain [[Markus Näslund]] was featured on the cover.
 
===NHL 06===
 
''NHL 06'' was released in [[September 2005]] with a North America-wide TV campaign proclaiming, "Hockey's Back!" The game features a slight graphics improvement and the return of the Create-A-Player feature, which was notably absent from ''NHL 2005''. The complete redesign of this feature was based on EA Sports' ''[[Tiger Woods PGA Tour|Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005]]'', allowing for much more complex changes in a player's appearance than simply eye or hair color. The game also includes [[HC Davos]] from Switzerland to go along with the [[Europe|European]] elite leagues. This game does not have an IIHF license. Due to the lack of the IIHF license, the game does not include real team jerseys nor the World Cup of Hockey. Instead, the World Cup of Hockey is now known as "EA Sports' World Tournament". This also means that the teams have flags on their jerseys.
 
The developers of the game placed a surprise in the PlayStation 2 version; playing ''NHL 94'' is an option, and it appears the same as it did when it was originally released, including several since-relocated franchises such as the [[Winnipeg Jets]] and [[Quebec Nordiques]].[http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/nhl06/preview_6127280.html?part=rss&tag=gs_previews&subj=6127280]. The [[Hartford Whalers]], however, were not included, instead replaced by a team called the "Hartford Canes". The city of [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] owns the rights to the Whalers' name, logo and jersey, and did not allow their use in the game.
 
''NHL 06'' came under heavy criticism for once again featuring too many "scoring fests". This time as a result of the defensive AI in the game being very passive and the goalie AI poor.
[[Tampa Bay Lightnings]]' forward [[Vincent Lecavalier]] is featured on the cover in North America, and in Nordic countries [[Chicago Blackhawks]]' Finnish forward Tuomo Ruutu.
 
===NHL 07===
 
''NHL 07'' was released on September 12, [[2006]][http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/nhl07/index.html?q=nhl%2007]. The game features a newly designed control setup in some versions, eliminating the need to use the face buttons to pass the puck.
 
The new Skill Stick Revolution feature produces different types of shots; backhand, snap shot, wrist shot, and slap shot. A backhand shot is achieved by holding the right analog stick in the opposite direction of the shooter's forehand shot, then pushing the analog stick forward (to the up position). A snap shot is achieved by pushing the analog stick forward with no other actions. The wrist shot is achieved by pushing the analog stick in the direction of the shooter's forehand then pushing the analog stick forward. Finally, the slapshot is achieved by pulling the analog stick back (down position) then pushing it forward. A player can increase the power of a backhand or wrist shot by rolling the analog stick back from the side (push the analog stick to one side, then follow the circle to the bottom.)
 
Commentary is provided by [[Gary Thorne]] and Bill Clement for the [[Xbox 360]] version of the game, however, Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson return for the [[History of video game consoles (sixth generation)|current generation]] versions.
 
''NHL 07'' for the [[Xbox 360]] features analog stick control and a brand new physics system which eliminates the magnetic type possession of the puck which have been used in past NHL games.
 
The [[Xbox 360]] Demo was released through the Xbox Live Marketplace on September 7, 2006. The demo features a shootout between the [[Edmonton Oilers]] and [[Carolina Hurricanes]]. The settings allow the [[NHL]] shootout rules to be turned off, to allow the player the ability to easily learn the new control scheme.
 
[[Washington Capitals']] forward and 2006 [[Calder Trophy]] winner [[Alexander Ovechkin]] is featured on the cover.
 
==Game covers==
[[Image:NHL95 MegaDrive.jpg|right|thumb|''NHL 95'' cover for the [[Sega Mega Drive]] (aka Sega Genesis).]]
As traditional with EA Sports, their [[Computer and video game packaging|boxes]] feature live action photos instead of drawings.
 
As it lacks the NHLPA license, the early titles staged photos without real players. ''NHLPA Hockey 93'', on the other hand, has the rights to use player images, but not of the teams. In this cover, the staged photo (in this photo there is the logo of the [[New York Rangers]] located on the bottom right of the goaltender's pants.) is surrounded by eight small portraits of players ([[Steve Yzerman]], [[Andy Moog]], [[Pat LaFontaine]], [[Brian Leetch]], [[Ray Bourque]], [[Patrick Roy]], [[Jeremy Roenick]], and [[Rick Tocchet]]). This changed with ''NHL 94'', which featured a goal situation for [[Tomas Sandström]] ([[Los Angeles Kings|LA Kings]]) against Andy Moog ([[Boston Bruins|Boston]]). ''NHL 95'' featured an in-goal camera during a goal scored by Alexei Kovalev of the New York Rangers during the '94 Stanley Cup Finals.''NHL 96'' featured [[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]]'s Scott Stevens and [[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit]]'s Steve Yzerman.
 
Since ''NHL 97'', each cover features only one player, with [[John Vanbiesbrouck]] ([[Florida Panthers|Panthers]]) being the first. He was followed by [[Peter Forsberg]] ([[Colorado Avalanche|Colorado]], ''NHL'98''), [[Eric Lindros]], ([[Philadelphia Flyers|Flyers]], ''NHL'99''), [[Chris Pronger]], ([[St. Louis Blues (hockey)|St. Louis Blues]], ''NHL 2000'') in the nordic countries Markus Näslund [[Vancouver Canucks]] was on the cover of ''NHL 2000''., [[Owen Nolan]], ([[San Jose Sharks|Sharks]], ''NHL 2001'') in the nordic countries Jere Lehtinen [[Dallas Stars]] was on the cover of ''NHL 2001''., [[Mario Lemieux]], ([[Pittsburgh Penguins|Penguins]], ''NHL 2002''), [[Jarome Iginla]], ([[Calgary Flames|Calgary]], ''NHL 2003''), [[Dany Heatley]] and [[Joe Sakic]], ([[Atlanta Thrashers]] and Colorado, respectively, in ''NHL 2004''), [[Markus Näslund]], ([[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]]) in ''NHL 2005'', [[Tuomo Ruutu]] ([[Chicago Blackhawks]]) and [[Vincent Lecavalier]] ([[Tampa Bay Lightning|Tampa Bay]]) in ''NHL 06'' and [[Alexander Ovechkin]] ([[Washington Capitals]]) in ''NHL 07''.
 
The European versions might sometimes have different cover players, for example [[Henrik Lundqvist]] ([[New York Rangers]]) on the cover of ''NHL 07'' sold in [[Sweden]], or [[Teemu Selänne]] ([[Anaheim Ducks]]) sold in [[Finland]].
 
==Developers==
The EA Canada NHL Dev. teams from 2003-present, are known as not very "hockey knowledgeable". They're led by ex 3-game NHL goaltender and NHL 07 (Xbox 360) Associate Producer, David Littman, aka Litty.
 
==Commentary==
Live play-by-play commentary is introduced in ''NHL 97''. [[Jim Hughson]], one of Canada's best-known hockey announcers, provided the play-by-play for much of the series, excluding the [[Xbox 360]] version of NHL 07; which is provided by [[Gary Thorne]]. Color commentary is provided by [[Daryl Reaugh]] (98-99), [[Bill Clement]] (2000-01, 2007 ([[Xbox 360]])), [[Don Taylor (Canadian sportscaster)|Don Taylor]] (2002-03), and [[Craig Simpson]] (2004-06).
 
==Soundtracks Leagues ==
{{main|NHL series soundtracks}}
 
In addition to the NHL itself, the different installments of the game include development leagues like the [[American Hockey League]] and [[ECHL]], major junior leagues like the member leagues of the [[Canadian Hockey League]], European national leagues from Russia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic, and the European [[Champions Hockey League]].
''NHL 2000'' is the first game in the series to feature fully-licenced music from known rock bands, such as [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]], [[Uberzone]] and [[Gearwhore]]. Later versions feature names like [[The Tea Party]], [[Franz Ferdinand (band)|Franz Ferdinand]], [[Billy Talent]], [[Collective Soul]], [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Gob (band)|Gob]], [[Jimmy Eat World]] and [[Avenged Sevenfold]]. The in-game soundtrack is titled [[EA Trax|EA Sports Trax]] since 2002.
 
== Game covers ==
==NHL series in popular culture==
===''Swingers''===
The removal of fights in ''NHL Hockey 94'' was addressed in the [[1996]] movie ''[[Swingers]]'':
 
[[Image:NHL95 MegaDrive.jpg|right|thumb|''NHL 95'' cover for the [[Mega Drive]]]]
: Trent: ''I wish they still had fights in this game so I could bitch-slap [[Wayne Gretzky|Wayne]].'' <br />
: Mike: ''What? They don't have fighting anymore?'' <br />
: Trent: ''Doesn't that suck?'' <br />
: Mike: ''Why'd they get rid of the fighting? It was the best part of the old version.'' <br />
: Sue: ''I think kids were hittin' each other or somethin', man.'' <br />
: Trent: ''Yeah but you know what, Mike? You can make their heads bleed in this one.'' <br />
: Mike: ''Make somebody's head bleed.'' <br />
: Sue: ''No man, we're in the playoffs.'' <br />
: Trent: ''I'm gonna make Wayne Gretzky's head bleed for super-fan #99 over here.''
 
As is traditional with EA Sports, the NHL series [[Computer and video game packaging|boxes]] feature live action photos instead of drawings. As it lacked the NHLPA license, the early titles staged photos without real players. ''NHLPA Hockey 93'', on the other hand, had the rights to use player images, but not of the teams. On this cover, the main action photo features the [[New York Rangers]]' [[Randy Moller]] checking the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]' [[Rod Brind'Amour]] while Rangers goaltender [[Mike Richter]] makes a save (in this photo there is the logo of the [[New York Rangers]] located on the bottom right of the goaltender's pants). This photo is surrounded by eight small portraits of players ([[Steve Yzerman]], [[Andy Moog]], [[Pat LaFontaine]], [[Brian Leetch]], [[Ray Bourque]], [[Patrick Roy]], [[Jeremy Roenick]], and [[Rick Tocchet]]). This changed with ''NHL 94'', which featured a goal situation for [[Tomas Sandström|Tomas Sandstrom]] ([[Los Angeles Kings]]) against [[Andy Moog]] ([[Boston Bruins]]). ''NHL 95'' featured an in-goal camera during a goal scored by [[Alexei Kovalev]] of the [[New York Rangers]] during the [[1994 Stanley Cup Finals]] against [[Kirk McLean]] of the Vancouver Canucks. ''NHL 96'' featured [[New Jersey Devils|New Jersey]]'s [[Scott Stevens]] and [[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit]]'s [[Steve Yzerman]]. More recently, [[Claude Giroux]] was featured on the cover of ''NHL 13'' and [[Martin Brodeur]] was on the cover of ''[[NHL 14]]''. On June 24, 2014, EA Sports announced at the 2014 [[National Hockey League|NHL]] Awards in Las Vegas that [[Patrice Bergeron]] of the [[Boston Bruins]] would be the official cover athlete for ''[[NHL 15]]''. In 2015, during the NHL awards, it was announced that the cover of ''[[NHL 16]]'' would feature [[Jonathan Toews]] and [[Patrick Kane]] carrying the [[Stanley Cup]] together. However, on August 12, 2015, EA announced that Kane would not be appearing on the cover or participating in any promotional activities for the game in light of a criminal investigation he was involved in. Instead, the cover featured Toews alone. At the 2016 NHL Awards, it was announced that [[Vladimir Tarasenko]] of the [[St. Louis Blues]] was to appear on the cover of ''[[NHL 17]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/808876|title = Blackhawks' Patrick Kane removed from 'NHL 16' cover amid investigation|date = August 12, 2015|access-date = August 12, 2015|website = The Score|last = Gold-Smith|first = Josh}}</ref> On June 21, 2017, during the 2017 NHL Awards, EA announced that [[Connor McDavid]] of the [[Edmonton Oilers]] would be the cover athlete on ''[[NHL 18]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Oilers' Connor McDavid named EA Sports NHL 18 cover athlete - Sportsnet.ca |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/oilers-connor-mcdavid-named-ea-sports-nhl-18-cover-athlete/ |access-date=2017-06-22 |work=Sportsnet.ca}}</ref> On August 22, 2024, EA announced that [[Quinn Hughes]] of the [[Vancouver Canucks]] would be the Canadian and international cover athlete, and [[Jack Hughes]] of the [[New Jersey Devils]] would be the US regional cover athlete on ''[[NHL 25]]''. And on the deluxe edition cover of ''[[NHL 25]]'', all three Hughes brothers (including [[Luke Hughes (ice hockey)|Luke Hughes]] of the [[New Jersey Devils]]) are the cover athletes together, which is for the first time in video game history that three siblings are on a video game cover art together.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Hughes Brothers |url=https://www.ea.com/games/nhl/nhl-25/features/cover-athletes |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=www.ea.com |language=en}}</ref> On August 4, 2025, EA announced that [[Matthew Tkachuk]] would be the cover athlete for ''[[NHL 26]]'' where he is seen hoisting the Stanley Cup. This is the first time since ''NHL 16'' where a defending Stanley Cup champion, as well as the Stanley Cup itself is on the cover.<ref>{{Cite web |title=He's loud. He's relentless. He's a problem. Now he's the face of the game. See the full #NHL26 reveal August 6th: https://youtu.be/TI79ySF0N0g |url=https://x.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1952398674828341636}}</ref>
However, this is not completely accurate, as bleeding players were also removed.
They also were playing ''NHLPA Hockey '93'' which had blood and fighting but the fighting was strategic and players like Gretzky would not have fought. In the original ''NHL Hockey'', Gretzky was able to fight.
 
== Commentary ==
===''Chasing Amy''===
[[Kevin Smith (filmmaker)|Kevin Smith]]'s [[1997]] movie ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' featured Banky and Holden playing one version of ''NHL Hockey'', but it was not the first time Smith used a hockey game: [[Sega|Sega's]] ''[[All Star Hockey]]'' featured on ''[[Mallrats]]'' with a main character, Brodie Bruce, playing as the [[Hartford Whalers]].
 
In ''NHLPA '93'' and ''NHL '94'', Emmy award-winning<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://sportsbyline.com/sports-byline-usa-with-ron-barr/|title = Sports Byline USA with Ron Barr|access-date = January 2, 2016|website = Sports Byline USA| date=27 December 2012 }}</ref> sportscaster Ron Barr gives a pre-game scouting report prior to each game. In the Genesis version of NHL 95, KNBR radio sportscaster John Shrader replaced Ron Barr in that duty. Live [[sports commentator|play-by-play commentary]] was introduced in the PC version of ''NHL 97''. [[Jim Hughson]], former play-by-play man for [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]'s ''[[Hockey Night in Canada]]'' and also one of Canada's best-known hockey announcers, provided the play-by-play for much of the series. The last games in which he is one of the announcers are the PC and PS2 versions of NHL 09. [[Bill Clement]] was the sole commentator in the [[Nintendo 64]] version of ''NHL 99''. [[Gary Thorne]] provided the play-by-play commentary in all [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]] versions from ''NHL 07'' through ''NHL 14''. [[NBC Sports]] commentator [[Mike Emrick]] and [[Eddie Olczyk]] provided the play-by-play and color commentary on all platforms, with their first appearance together being in ''NHL 15'' and last in ''NHL 19''. [[James Cybulski]] is the current play-by-play commentator, starting with ''NHL 20''. ''NHL 15'' was also the first game to introduce an ice level analyst, with [[The Sports Network|TSN]] analyst [[Ray Ferraro]] appearing in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. [[Color commentator|Color commentary]] has been provided by [[Daryl Reaugh]] (NHL 98–99), [[Bill Clement]] (NHL 2000–2001, and NHL 07–14 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), [[Don Taylor (Canadian sportscaster)|Don Taylor]] (NHL 2002–2003), [[Craig Simpson]] (NHL 2004–09), [[Eddie Olczyk]] (NHL 15–19). Ferraro made the jump from ice-level analyst to full color commentator in ''NHL 20'' (NHL 20–23). Ferraro was replaced by [[Cheryl Pounder]] as color commentator in ''NHL 24'' (NHL 24-present).
===''The EA NHL GOD''===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+Commentary Team
! rowspan="1" scope="col" |Games
! rowspan="1" scope="col" |Commentary Team
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 97]]
|[[Jim Hughson]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 98]]
|[[Jim Hughson]], [[Daryl Reaugh]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 99]]
|[[Jim Hughson]], [[Daryl Reaugh]] and [[Bill Clement]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2000]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Jim Hughson]], [[Bill Clement]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2001]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2002]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Jim Hughson]], [[Don Taylor (sportscaster)|Don Taylor]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2003]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2004]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Jim Hughson]], [[Craig Simpson]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 2005]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 06]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 07]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Jim Hughson]], [[Craig Simpson]] (PC, PS2)
[[Gary Thorne]], [[Bill Clement]] (PS3, Xbox 360)
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 08]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 09]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 10]]
| rowspan="6" |[[Gary Thorne]], [[Bill Clement]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL Slapshot]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 11]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 12]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 13]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 14]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 15]]
| rowspan="6" |[[Mike Emrick]], [[Eddie Olczyk]], and [[Ray Ferraro]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL: Legacy Edition]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 16]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 17]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 18]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 19]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 20]]
| rowspan="4" |[[James Cybulski]], [[Ray Ferraro]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 21]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 22]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 23]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 24]]
| rowspan="4" |[[James Cybulski]], [[Cheryl Pounder]]
|-
! scope="row" |[[NHL 25]]
|}
 
== Controversy ==
The EA NHL GOD, is the authority of the NHL series and hockey gaming. He possesses unmatched EA NHL and hockey knowledge. He's also an exlemplary budding hockey game designer and producer. The EA NHL GOD is well-respected within the EA NHL community and is identified as the game's community leader. He can be found on the official EA NHL forums, answering fans' questions and providing game info.
{{Original research section|date=April 2022}}
One idea that has been widely discussed over many years within the fan community is a purported automatic built-in gameplay mechanism called ”ice tilt”, which modifies skaters' and/or goalies' and/or the referee's penalty-decision-making behavior irrationally to favor a worse player, a player on a losing streak or a player who is down by multiple goals. EA Sports has openly denied the existence of any such mechanism, instead saying that winning is a product of skill and the quality of the team's roster. However, EA once published a document about a feature called "Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment", which was interpreted by some as confirming the existence of ice tilt. EA has not denied this. In fact, they patented the software for it.
<ref>{{Cite web| title=Dynamic difficulty adjustment | url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/25/9b/fc/c885b6d84e460f/US20170259177A1.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601220118/https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/25/9b/fc/c885b6d84e460f/US20170259177A1.pdf | archive-date=2019-06-01}}</ref>
 
==See alsoSoundtracks ==
''NHL 99'' was the first game in the series to feature fully licensed music from [[David Bowie]] for the intro video. Since then, each game has had soundtracks of licensed music known as EA Sports Trax, with selections of [[punk rock|punk]], [[alternative rock|alternative]], and [[rock music]]. Electronic and hip hop music was later added to the mix in later games. ''[[NHL 15]]'' and ''[[NHL 16]]'' on [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] use an original orchestral score instead for the menus, while the soundtrack continues playing in the arenas. ''[[NHL 17]]'' returned to the traditional EA Trax feature and also allowed the option to switch back to the original score from ''NHL 15''.
*[[List of NHL video games]]
 
== See also ==
* [[List of ice hockey video games]]
* [[Sports game]]
 
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
 
== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.easports.com/free/games/nhl/home.jsp Free playable NHL 97]
* {{moby game|id=-group/ea-sports-nhl-series|name=''NHL'' series}}
* [http://www.easports.com/games/nhl06/home.jsp EA Sports NHL '06 Official Website]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game_group/sheet/gameGroupId,42/ MobyGames page on the series]
* [http://www.nhl94.com/ NHL94.com] (frequently updated NHL 94 resource)
* [http://www.easports.com/nhl07/ EA Sports NHL '07 Official Website] (Latest version of the NHL series)
* [http://allday529.proboards91.com/ NHL custom covers]
* [http://oshlhockey.com/ Old School Hockey League (NHL94 League)]
 
{{EA-NHL- series}}
{{Electronic Arts}}
{{NHL topics}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nhl Series}}
[[Category:Computer and video game franchises]]
[[Category:IceNHL hockey(video computergame and videoseries)| games]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts franchises]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts games]]
[[Category:WindowsVideo games developed in Canada]]
[[Category:PlayStationEA 2Sports games]]
[[Category:GameCubeVideo gamesgame franchises introduced in 1991]]
[[Category:XboxIce hockey video games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360Video games developed in the United States]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_(video_game_series)"