EASHL NEEDS Line Changing in 25 (and beyond!)

Question

I think this is going to be a hot take but I think EASHL NEEDS line changing in the future games!

This game mode has a very big problem in regards to positioning throughout the game. Players on the Left and Right sides respectfully can get away with remaining on their respective sides or halves of the ice throughout the entirety of a game. This has led to less movement across the ice which results in less defensive breakdowns of a team. The average stamina bars being considerably high or easy to replenish back to full with some brief coasting make the defenses ability to backcheck on broken down plays easier. All of this has resulted in the 5 man neutral zone trap meta to emerge. People rarely forecheck and attack the puck carriers at the highest level of play because of the success of this defensive style. Odd man rushes and 1on1s have a much lower threat due to the defenses ability to get back quickly.
Line changes are essential in the NHL. A wrongly timed change can cause a breakdown in the defense. A chance to have the line and energy advantage while hemming someone in their zone (in a way the pressure system was trying to replicate).&nbsp;

Line Changes would fix this issue in multiple ways.

Force the Left and Right sides respectfully to have to crossover the others path for changing at the bench which could cause some opportunities amidst the confusion.&nbsp;
Create more of a reason for potentially dumping the puck in deep to safely full change your lines which slows the overall game speed down a bit or forecheck heavily while having the advantage to keep the other team from changing as they are desperate to clear.
Allows the second period to have that "highest scoring" period title it deserves for the benches being further away to change lines.
Adds a small increase to the skill ceiling for players to manage their stamina and know when to skate hard and go for a change or slow down and conserve when exhausted of it.&nbsp;

I am curious to hear what people think on this? I have to stress I am not asking for 10v10 or switching with other human players mid game or anything like that as people ask me this all the time when I propose this concept.&nbsp;

I will have my ideas for implementing this into the game in a reply so you can better understand it if you are interested in hearing.

Edit: Moved thread to WoC forums. -CM

hiperay · Answer

My Idea for Implementation of this feature has a couple different options but the main ones are...

1. We have three build choices to swap between that we can set up in the dressing room. You would have to use a different type for each build (PMD, TWD, OD/SNP, PLY, DNG for examples) and manage their stamina over the course of a period. Stamina replenishes slowly when on the bench during the period, and back to full at the start of one. This has its flaws when multiple penalties slow the period down or even doubles the length of time but could create some unique gameplay requiring people to use more than just one type of build. You could further make this penalizing and only have two builds to choose between when you are on the PK to give the PP team a bigger advantage.

2. Similar to option 1. you run the same 3 lines for your player but this time, it is merely 3 copies of your player. You still have the stamina management with this scenario, and are merely removing out the complexity and uniqueness of multiple builds. You skate to the bench and another copy of you makes the animation of coming onto the ice.

3. By far my favorite option in my opinion, a "spot" by the bench doors you must stop at to get full stamina. In this scenario stamina doesn't replenish from coasting at all like it does currently (maybe at PK rates) and the only way to get back to full is by using these spots by the doors. You could make it so the spot is just a small radius circle by the door so you don't have to visually put something on the ice.

kdsmaclean · Answer

Completely agreed, and I've often thought your option 1 is a nice way of doing that. Make it so that players have multiple "types" out there (although copies are possible) and the game becomes much more interesting. Do you "match up" against the other team? How well do you communicate changes with your teammates?

There's also an element to offence - they can't just hold the puck to the outside and wait because they'd run out of energy too. So they have to skillfully change while in the zone.

pengman · Answer

@hiperay Excellent idea. I have mentioned this idea to my inner circle on multiple occasions. Great minds think alike, eh? haha...

I actually would propose an Option 4. Between whistles, you can switch builds (whether you get to choose from 2 or 3). But *during play*, it's like your option 2. You skate to the bench, your player hops over the boards onto the bench and a copy of that build hops onto the ice.

mgrandalf64 · Answer

@hiperay&nbsp;I totally support this idea.The option 1 would be awesome and most fun to have but I also understand that option 1 is the most difficult to implement as you mentioned. My suggestion would be something between options 2 and 3. So the only way to get back to full stamina is to skate to that circular spot next to the bench but after that a short animation happens where you go onto the bench and at the same time a copy of you jumps onto the ice. That animation is only for aesthetic purposes of course but gives me a more believable experiense. But I would be happy with that option 3. I imagine in that way the game would feel much better already than in the current version where you have to stand still or coast slowly to gain more stamina.&nbsp;

pengman · Answer

A solution for that could simply be each position has a specific spot by the bench to change at. That way if all five players changed at the same time, none of the animations would overlap.&nbsp;

Forum Discussion

EASHL NEEDS Line Changing in 25 (and beyond!)

9 Replies

About NHL 24 General Discussion

Recent Discussions

BAP - Wheels ability not unlocking and moves to Inactive

NHL 25 on PS4 and PS5

What control buttons are used to take faceoffs in NHL 24

2 local player on same console playing against eachother

be a pro glitch when coach talks