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EA NHL 27 FRANCHISE MODE WISHLIST
These are simple things that would make us happy for a few years. Remove Alumni behind all old teams so we can use them in franchise mode without it looking bad. Fix the arenas and the fans so it looks better too. Let us change the height/weight and age of existing players Animated profile pictures of generated players, you get incredibly confused when you've been in the Franchise for a few years and can't recognize anyone, it's in BAP so why not in Franchise mode. And let us change YOUR generated players hairstyle and hair color, it’s just boring to get a dude with grey hair and beard. Goalie masks without other teams logo and name, CHEL got new cool masks every year, why not put them in Franchise mode too??? New logos, we're getting tired of hamburgers and pizzas now. It can't be that much work to make some cool ones, right?? Let us create ready-made AHL teams too so we don't have to change them every time we want to change NHL expansion teams. Fix deadline, incredibly frustrating to be sent to the beginning every time another team makes a trade when scrolling through the players in the trade block. Let us choose whether the player should be a leader/rat/locker room pest etc etc, when we edit or create players, Maybe even let us choose if our edit or created players will be a draft steal, for example a player who is 60-45 elite medium can go in the 4-6th round, or a 65-70 elite medium can go in the 2-4th round. or a franchise player goes as pick 3-7 in the first round, (saw that Maddox Schultz usually comes up as pick 3-4 even though he is franchise) Now all elites go in the first round no matter how you try to create them. Some cities are missing and what the commentators say for exempel ”Savannah” and ”Nordiques” 33 EXPANSION need to start a year later. When we start 33 expansion we got double draft, this year for exempel Matthew Schaefer so if Islander got draft pick one again they have two players drafted 2025 nr:1 . Let us fix our franchise the first year like find and hire coaches and scouts who match our team or our future plan, We can scout the expansion draft players. and if the 33 expansion start a year later we always gonna have diffrent players in the expansion draft
CHEL26 Be A Pro Feedback (Player Growth and X-Factors)
Alright so I gave Be A Pro a try after the update and I actually do like it more than I thought. It’s still nothing compared to NHL19 personally, as you could play two full seasons of Junior and then get drafted, play AHL, no form score, (essentially a sandbox), etc etc but I digress. Regardless, as for NHL26, while I do enjoy lighting up the league, I’ve got some issues and they are primarily tied to player growth and X-Factors. Alright so I go in with my normal build I use for most of my Be A Pros. A 5’7 Left-Shot Sniper who plays Centre. Now I knew I’d have a choice between Quick Release and One Tee, being someone who prefers scoring off the rush and someone who used Schnipe/Shock&Awe/MakeItSnappy from 22-25, naturally I went with Quick Release. Anyways my next objective was to get Wheels, which I did, and then went for Elite Quick Release. Alright, sounds good. My next course of action was Backhand Beauty, by far my favorite X-Factor and a key part of my playstyle as a left-shot Sniper. However despite looking through all the available X-Factors, it wasn’t even in the menu. I hear that different player types have different X-Factors available, yet why is this particular one excluded from a Sniper of all player types? I chose a Sniper partly because I like scoring on the backhand. Yet it’s not even selectable for a Sniper? You have 20+ of the around 28 X-Factors available, even ones you wouldn’t expect for a Sniper like Send It and Hipster, yet one of the primary shooting X-Factors isn’t even available to be used? That really frustrated me, especially when I went into a Grudge Match game and got to use Backhand Beauty for the duration of one game and it felt great, only to realize I can’t even unlock it normally. Alright, nothing I can do about that unless the game gets updated, alright. So I decided to go for Elite Wheels next instead. Only to find out that it is quite literally impossible to obtain Elite Wheels even with a 5’7 Sniper, all speed and acceleration traits unlocked, and all salary perks active, as well as peak health. Heck, you can’t even get All-Star Wheels unless you have literally every speed and acceleration trait unlocked with full health and perks, and you lose it after one game when you go from peak health to energetic. Normally to fix this, I’d turn my attention to the weekly off-ice training, except now that, the one thing that you could use to max out your skating stats, is completely gone. There is literally no way to get more than 90 Acceleration on a 5’7 Sniper, which means it’s impossible to get Elite Wheels and mostly impossible to keep All-Star Wheels. Okay, so what am I saying needs to be done? Well, first off, every X-Factor should be available to unlock regardless of player type. If I want a Sniper with Quick Release, Wheels, and Backhand Beauty, I should be allowed to work towards that. Secondly, there needs to be a way to actually upgrade your base acceleration and speed stats outside of traits. The temporary bonuses from peak health don’t last anymore than a single game, and the salary perks seem more like boosts than anything. Bring back the off-ice training, or let me grind out XP just by hustling during gameplay. The only way you can even increase speed through gameplay is via beating icing, something that is nearly impossible to do consistently. Third, make it so once you unlock an X-Factor, you can always apply it regardless of your stats. They are X-Factors for a reason, they’re supposed to give you an edge. I’m playing on Winnipeg, Kyle Connor has Elite Wheels but only 91 Speed and Acceleration, why do I need 93? Even if I somehow got 93 acceleration (which as I said, is literally impossible since off-ice training is gone), if it was because of peak health bonuses or late-career aging, I’d lose it. I ask kindly that this is updated in the near future. I should be able to work towards an elite version of every X-Factor, and some not even being selectable for certain player types even when it would make sense is absurd. Just let me have Elite Wheels and Backhand Beauty on my 5’7 Sniper. I’d be happy then. Let me grind out my player to 99 base skating stats. Thank You.
CHEL suggestion for the future
The NHL World of CHEL allows players multiple player build slots. Perhaps allow teams to select multiple builds to use in each game and assign them to dedicated lines. This would allow a little bit of diversity, while still allowing players the option to use similar builds if they choose. But furthermore, would add a more immersive experience bringing more strategy into play in the game. Endurance would still be a major factor, which would require teams to make the line changes to maintain energy.This is STILL an issue in Franchise mode with NHL 26
I don't know why this still hasn't been fixed year after year, but the CPU teams in Franchise mode still won't make call-ups if there are injuries, until they are forced too (ran out of healthy scratches). For example, if a CPU team has 3 d-men as healthy scratches, and 2 forwards get hurt, they'll just put d-men in their spots, instead of calling up a forward. In my Franchise with Utah, the Devils had Simon Nemec playing 4th line center because of this. The way to fix it in the past was to make a minor trade with the team doing this (7th round pick for 7th round pick), and the CPU team would auto-adjust and call up the correct position player, but I feel like doing that too much screws up the trade system (CPU won't make trades). Update: Kurtis MacDermid got hurt so the Devils had no one left, so they finally called up two forwards to fill in (Brock McGinn and Angus Crookshank). Also one of their goalies got hurt, so they had to call up Daws, so that may have also triggered the CPU to make the correct call-ups.
NHL09 no menu in game
I just downloaded NHL 09 on my PC to feel this emotions again. Unfortunately after intro only what Im seeing is menu background and game music. I've spend 2h already by talking with EA support and their atempts to solve issue is under any lever of criticism. If anyone have such prolbem and have any solution for it except typical basic v-sync and ect. i will be much apreciate for help. In attachment you can find what im seeing on screen after game intro.NHL One
Of course that's a working title because it's supposed to be new and it isn't owned by Microsoft, but that's the idea. I just feel like EA is missing out on a lot of customers because people who buy their games can only play with other people who have the same version. As a result most people who play online don't play with people they know irl. Because their friends who don't play as often as them aren't going to buy the game just for them. If it was one game, that would be different. Just one game, and the DLC for both roster and gameplay updates. The gameplay (and/or graphics engine) doesn't cost more in terms of what you pay the artists to keep the rosters updated with new models every year and vice versa. One isn't needed for the other. But obviously if you want to play online with someone else you have to have both the same roster and gameplay updates, meaning the people like me (before gamepass) who hadn't bought a copy since 08, would regularly get the new one, because it would be less often and a finished product. But also, if My buddy wanted to play NHL with me and I only had 08 and he made more money than me, he'd likely get the old version and roster, and then (in at least some cases) would convince me whilst doing so to get the newer version. ... I mean, if you count 08 as in a few years and it happened the same amount of time after. But that's the thing. We're all going to get the new one if it's cheaper to update it every year and when it is more expensive we can be more confident that it's a finished product that we're getting) Also, that means that you could update each mode of the game separately, because the people who aren't playing online (and don't have gamepass) just aren't playing. For instance, I'm sure there are plenty of people who work for EA who want to write a full hockey RPG that would make everyone forget about what Be a Pro is now. Because you're in Vancouver. I mean, you must be aware that BaP players have been yearning for years for any changes whatsoever. But that's not where you get your money. It could be though, if you let the people who are good at that part do their jobs and just basically use your engine for the combat mechanics. If you only had the one game you could sell that as DLC (I mean, depending on the scope for the same price as a full game, but I'm not quite that hopefully about the scope)Suggestions to improve the EASHL experience in NHL 26 +
Hello EA Sports, I'm a Product Development Director with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, and an expert in UX/UI. I'm also a passionate player of the NHL series, especially in EASHL mode, which I regularly enjoy with my 3 friends player team. I'd like to offer a few concrete suggestions that could significantly enhance the overall experience for your player base. Here are a few ideas that could bring high value to the community: 1. Smart reconnection via session token Currently, if a player is disconnected (network drop, crash, etc.), they are permanently removed from the match, which puts their team at a major disadvantage. Suggestion: generate a reconnection token at the beginning of the game that remains valid until the match ends. This would allow any disconnected player to rejoin the same match automatically upon relaunching the game. You could even add a notification like: “Patrick has rejoined the game!” 2. Ability to change loadout mid-match Sometimes players enter a match with the wrong build or need to adapt mid-game to the opponents' strategy. Suggestion: allow loadout changes between periods, just like a coach adjusting tactics. 3. Unique customization per loadout At the moment, all loadouts share the same name, number, helmet, and visual setup. Suggestion: let players assign individual visual customization to each loadout. This would let a player visually represent different roles (e.g. a flashy loadout for a sniper, a rugged look for a grinder, etc.). 4. Configurable AI teammate styles When playing with small teams (e.g. 2 or 3 players), the remaining teammates and goalie are controlled by AI and can sometimes behave unpredictably. Suggestion: allow players to configure the AI teammate playstyle, such as: Goalie type (butterfly, hybrid, acrobatic…) Forward or defenseman profile (offensive, playmaker, physical…) Level of aggressiveness or caution This would add a layer of strategy and control while reducing frustration caused by rigid AI behavior. Final thoughts These suggestions aim to enhance the experience for serious and engaged players, bringing more flexibility, depth, and reliability to the EASHL mode. Thank you for considering this feedback Kind regardsBe a pro NHL 26
Hey EA Sports NHL Team, I wanted to share a list of community-driven suggestions for the Be a Pro mode in NHL 26. This mode has great potential, but currently feels underdeveloped compared to career modes in other sports games. Here’s how it can be taken to the next level: 🧠 1. Dynamic Storylines with Real Choices Dialogue and media responses should impact team chemistry, fan reactions, and player progression. Make agent and coach feedback matter – reward performance, punish poor play. Add real scenarios: being benched, sent to AHL, trade rumors, locker room tension, etc. 🧑💼 2. Life Off the Ice (Crucial New Feature) Introduce off-ice decisions: what you do in your free time (train, party, rest) should affect performance. Lifestyle choices: buy apartments, cars, investments, endorsements – all affecting fame, money, and reputation. Interactions with fans, teammates, family, and the media should shape your personality and brand. 💪 3. Personality & Role Development Let players shape a unique identity (e.g., humble leader, flashy superstar, gritty grinder) that actually affects career progression. Training and lifestyle decisions should influence attribute growth and physical condition over time. Add short-term boosts or setbacks depending on how the player prepares. 🏒 4. Realistic Career Path Start in junior leagues, college, or AHL – don’t jump into the NHL 1st line instantly. Earning your ice time should feel rewarding – different roles like PK specialist, depth player, or powerplay QB. Have real-time feedback from coaches and reactive changes in lineups or playtime. 🏆 5. Career Legacy & Endgame Include full career arcs with long-term goals: Stanley Cups, All-Star games, awards, even Hall of Fame potential. Multiple career endings: legend, bust, journeyman, etc. Add an epilogue – coaching, front-office roles, or media careers post-retirement. ⚙️ 6. Polished UI and Smarter AI Smoother menus and loading times – less clunky navigation. Improve AI awareness so linemates actually play smart hockey. 📌 Summary Be a Pro could be the best mode in NHL 26 if it adds more immersion, life outside the rink, and meaningful career choices. Right now it’s too on-rails. Fans don’t just want to play hockey — we want to live the journey of becoming a pro. Thanks for reading — we hope you’ll consider pushing Be a Pro to its full potential!Ideas for Create A Team and Be A GM Custom League in NHL 26 and future
Hey! I'm a long time hockey and NHL franchice fan from Europe. Since I was a kid I have loved creating my own teams on NHL games, and I was very happy when Custom League feature came on NHL23. It's actually latest game in franchice which I bought, because I had been waiting for it for years, and I felt very content after getting it. But now as time has passed, I have been thinking for a few features in Create A team and Custom League that I think would make games much more immersive and enjoyable for creative players like myself. I understand that some of them might be a bit difficult to program, but it doesn't hurt ask for them. Turning on/off team and player records from Custom League I think this is quite simple thing really, but I think it would be nice if players could turn off the existing NHL records from custom leagues. Sometimes when I create smaller leagues with less games in a season, breaking records becomes pretty much impossible. That's why I think it would feel more realistic if the records would start from beginning and players could create new kind of fantasy hockey history, or simply turn them off and not see them. Small thing, but would feel nice to see records of my league, not real NHL, when it's not in a sense same league. Custom League with name and trophies of its own This might be a bit trickier thing, but I'd really like my custom league to be REALLY custom leagues. A new league, with new name, new trophy, new records (already explained this one), and so on. Maybe the game could feature a few choices for the name, or the commentary could always refer to the new league simply as "the league". I think it would make playing a bit more fun, when you have clean canvas, where to start reating hockey history of your own. Same with championship trophy. Having ability to name all trophies, like individual awards, is quite far fetched, but being able to choose name for main goal and trophy would be cool. Games already feature names of many countries, people and other things on commentary names for teams and players, and I think choosing name from these options would work well, like "The Canada Cup", "The Crosby Cup" etc. Retired numbers Many players have been asking for ability to retire numbers in game. I think it would be cool too, but I know it would a bit difficult and it'd had to have some restrictions like max. 30 retired numbers per team etc. Having jersey retirement ceremonies and cutscenes would be cool, but what I really want would be having option to choose retired numbers in Create A Team, and have these numbers appear at custom arenas rafters already in creation mode. I don't necessarily need the retirement ceremony, but I think it would cool have retired numbers and banners hanging in the arena. It would create a feeling that the team actually has some history and so on. Assigned goalie masks for the team I think this one is also quite simple thing, but I have wanted for a long time to be able to assign mask styles for my custom times. It's really exhausting to change masks for the goaltenders on all teams to match their colors etc. and I think it would be great if players could choose from already existing designs and assign it to their team and the goalies would then automatically wear them, like they to do with real teams in the game. All game logos in Create A Team This one might have trouble with legal rights and creator rights, but I think having AHL and European team logos as options for teams would be great. No offense for any of the developers of the game, but sometimes you mess up some team jersey designs in programming, and it would be cool to create them myself with real logos and such. The list became a bit longer than I figured, but maybe they can give you some ideas for the future. Can't wait for new hockey seasons to start. I hope you all very good summer😎Never get to play in Power Plays
I will draw the penalty from the other team, or just when ever there's a power play in general I'm ALWAYS TAKEN OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO PLAY IN A POWER PLAY! THIS GAME IS GARBAGE. That's just 1 of probably 30 other complaints I don't even feel like naming because you won't fix them. I know this because I see other reviews and their complaints are the same as mine. The AI even on your team is against you. They steal your goals, block your shots, intentionally miss passes or delay their pass to you. Like seriously, I'm starting to think you just pump games out and never actually play them. Because if you did you'd see how frustrating and STUPID your AI is. It's 2025 AI can make movies...what are y'all doing over there at EA?
Bring NHL Games to Nintendo Switch 2
EA, you've missed out on reaching the largest console gaming audience for eight years. Please do not make the same mistake on the highly capable Nintendo Switch 2. If this new console is getting Madden, with 22 moving players, it can certainly handle 12 moving players in NHL. NHL is my all-time favorite game, going back to the original on Sega Genesis. Don't make me continue to buy PlayStations only for NHL games. Thank you!
NHL 19 Franchise mode crashing
NHL 19 crashes when I try to play or sim a playoff game during franchise mode. It first happened during the 21-22 season somewhere on the second round and I wasn't able play or sim these games. Sure I could advance the days but that's the only thing I could do as prior games would also be broken. I "fixed" it by loading another save that was at an earlier date in the same timeline. Fast forward to the 22-23 season, the one I'm playing right now, the bug happened once again, this time on the third round. Did the same fix and made the finals only for it to appear once again. I play on the PS4 and I tried some other things that did not work like rebuilding the database or making a copy of the save, which ends up copying the bug. I even tried reinstalling the game. Is there any way to prevent or fix this as I don't want to have to save the game after every game and loading an earlier save just breaks progress and immersion I have during my run. Plus I don't have any guarantee that it would turn out to be an unbroken save. One weird thing is that it only happens for NHL games, my AHL team is fine and capable to play/simulate. The other weird thing I noticed is that during a cpu vs cpu game at my third time encountering the bug (for context, during elimination games, I do cpu vs cpu when theres like 10 minutes left during the third period. Also I manage the Avalanche which has Mackinnon on it.), I somehow had 2 Mackinnon on the ice. Obviously I had the one that was supposed to be here, but somehow, I had the Mackinnon of my year 1 as a GM, replacing one of my defensemen on my first pairing, who wasn't injured. We won and made it to the Final where the game broke once again. Do with that as you will with that information because I don't know if this was responsible for it, since I don't remember it happening for the prior 2 times I encountered this bug, because I didn't notice like this time. Like I said earlier, I want some kind of actual solution to this since I wasn't able to find one other than my "band-aid" one. I want to know if you ever encountered this bug and managed to fix it and how did you do it. Pretty sure I have the same problem as this one: https://forums.ea.com/discussions/nhl-franchise-discussion-en/nhl-19-playoff-simulation-issue/9580572
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