NHL 25, The Elite Version! (Updated 8 July)

First off, I’m quite happy with the offline game play for NHL 24. Best it’s been to date IMO. Absolutely LOVE the deflections/tips!!! Would like to see AI players block more shots and add shot block counter to the pause menu. The tuning change to the pressure system was bang on! I play offline (Play Now) and with the right slider set up the game plays great for me. The game needs some polish, presentation wise to make it elite. 

Additions needed for 25:

Pre game video of an aerial view of the home  arena.

Pre game Intro the starting goalies.

Show both teams lines, pre game.

Goalie equipment for when teams wear alternate uniforms, i.e. Canucks Black.

Back up goalie sitting on the bench needs to wear a team ball cap. Watch any real game, they always wear a ball cap.

An NHL penalty box attendant for each penalty box. You know….the guy with the NHL jacket wearing a headset.

Shot counter on the score bar!!!!!!

It’s super annoying having to pause the game to check the shots. Also having the ability to choose showing score top left corner like TV presentation. This is much needed for different camera angles, such as broadcast. (See pic attached)

Show shot speed on the score bar or the animated boards when players take 85 mph and higher. (See pic attached)

Ability to roof the puck in tight to the net like NHL players do. Currently not an option in the game. An option to better define a 5 hole shot selection would be great as well. 

Shot blocking. Would like to see more shot blocking. What happened to the animation where the player puts legs together, standing to try and block shots? Bring that back and make it the default block instead of laying down. Adding a shot blocking slider would be awesome!

Let user choose which player takes the face off.

Kick players from face off.

Home team advantage line changes.

Ability to choose full presentation for offline.

User option to turn pressure system off. 

Coaches Challenge for penalties. 

Ability to customize your PP, i.e. placing Draisaitl down low near the goal line on the PP.

Bring back the option to show the player you're controlling’s position. LW/RW/C/RD/LD. Used to be an option in display settings, should never have been removed.

Bring back the loud stomp noise and camera shake when home team scores late in 3rd or OT. That was so awesome!  

Add neck guards.

Add ability to customize shin pads. IE, ability to make them bigger or smaller. Draisaitl wears super skinny ones. 

Add more zone abilities for elite/franchise players. I’d go with 3. Add more than 5 super star abilities for elite/franchise players. Maybe 8-10? 

Ability to give players long hair like Mika Zibanijad. 

For a penalty….we want to see and hear the referee turn on his microphone and announce the penalty. Example…..”Philadelphia #23, 2 minutes for cross checking”.

Carolina wears a red helmet with home white. 

Sharks wear a teal helmet with home white. 

Canucks flat black helmet & chrome blue helmet. 

Coaches challenge 

Real team goal songs

Overhaul/Remove/Fix:

Get rid of PP forward/defense lines. Should just have PP1/PP2. If using 1-3-1, the player on the left wall should be a forward. The game currently reads LD.

Please attempt to fix the offline/play now “game speed” glitch where the sliders change under the hood. It’s been in the game for at least a decade.

Fix the sliders that don’t work, namely the pass interception, pass accuracy, most of the penalties, aggression, etc. 

Get rid of players constantly/randomly pointing their sticks trying to hint for you to pass. Looks dumb. I don’t see that in real hockey.

Fix full jersey tuck. The current rendition looks like the early nineties. Looks absolutely ridiculous! Can’t see the players number. The modern pants don’t go up that high anymore and players can’t fully tuck the jersey in anymore due to the fight strap. See pic below. 

Puck flip/dump. NHL 23 was perfect.

Bring back NHL 23 poke check for offline. Stop making offline players suffer due to online spamming/cheating. Don’t underestimate your offline player base. You’ll loose a lot of revenues if you do.

Bring back NHL 23 controller layout.

Goal celebration overhaul. I really like the idea of the special home Celly with lights out etc. Just need to change the camera angle. Looks like there is a camera man on the ice in the prone position. Here is the sequence I’d like to see. Player scores, group celly, then all 5 players skate to bench and do the glove tap, then an instant replay of the goal with commentary. 

For offline, add way more time in game during breaks in play for the user to select their lines and or change strategies. 1.5 seconds is way too quick! Ridiculous! How about adding a button press to resume game? That would be awesome. 

Allow user to select the gender of the officials. “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game”. 

Bring back user choice of “speed burst” or “authentic”. Why remove this!?

The pressure meter on the ice needs to go. Maybe show it on the boards?

Fix home fans chanting the name of the away team.

Proper number of assistant coaches on the bench. Needs 2 more and 1 more trainer. 

Jumbotrons & LED light rings around the arena. These look so dated! Check out current NHL arenas. The LED are super bright and high definition. Time for an update! Please please don’t make us have to see that horrible low definition speaker graphic that’s been in this game for like 15 plus years!!!

Increased crowd noise/authentic music, with bright HD team color LED ring lighting when home team goes on the PP. Check out an Oilers home game for reference. Add each home teams real goal song. 

Update those goalie masks that have been in the game for 20 years.

A skating momentum/friction/physics slider would be super slick!

Please add injured reserve to the roster.

Please allow user to dress 11 forwards & 7 D men. 

During the anthem in NHL 24 the players on the bench are wearing their helmets. 

Maybe do away with the number player rating system? McDavid and Draisaitl are NOT elite defensive forwards. Currently the only way to get them between 95-97 overall is to jack their defensive skill to 90 plus.

My suggestion for the Overall Rating is;

Average

Above Average

Elite

Generational Talent.

Attributes would follow a similar suit. Example; Skating - Below Average/Average/Above Average/Elite/McDavid.

Please stop removing “things” EVERY YEAR that should always be in the game. This makes no sense!!! You keep shooting yourselves in the foot.