Not another NHL26 wishlist. Okay it might be

EA, You are getting hundreds of requests for how to improve the game or the game play. My list is things that are presentations only. Visuals that were already in prior EA NHL games are in other EA sport games. Nothing to do with anything else. 

1. Pregame. Right now, the pregame scenes are about 10 seconds long, add another 10 seconds for grudge matches (btw the goalie is the only one without a stick in those cut scenes). They should be much longer. Other games like College football and Madden have long pre game intros. They show the crowd, the stadium, dynamic intros, team specific intros, stats and it makes the game better. NHL25? Nothing, Previous versions showed your player with stats. Make a longer intro. Show them walking from the locker room. The view skating on the ice. Or show when it’s your first game in the show, you skate onto the ice alone as its tradition. 
2. Crowds: NHL needs to have more variety of faces in the crowds. There are no kids, no adults, no older people, every faces is the face of a mid 20s crowd like you are at a college game. More variety of faces. Also, different teams have loyal fan bases. Ever been to a game in Ottawa when they play Montreal. Half the arena is Montreal fans. EA knows who has a large and loyal fan base, incorporate that into the game. There is no way a team with a 20-45 record should have sell out crowds, or a team that’s down 8-0 should have a full arena. Im not saying add animations of the crowd leaving, but have more empty seats. 
3. Crowds Part 2. I noticed in previous, fans wore jerseys with your number on them. I dont see that in NHL25. If you are a rookie, no one is wearing your number, as you get better, I see people in the crowd wearing your number. Thats a great touch. Have the crowd wearing numbers of other players like the captain or HOF players. Who wouldn’t like to see #99 when you are in Edmonton or #33 when you play in Montreal? 
4. The 3 stars of the game: Who doesn’t want to see their name on that list? What I do miss is in previous years. EA had the player go on the ice and do a quick skate if you are one of the 3 stars. There is nothing like that now. I think it would be great to see your character be selected and get on the ice for a turn… even better if you are playing on the road.
5. Raising of the banner: I remember this was in previous NHL games where if you win the cup, it would show a cut scene where it shows you looking up as they raise the championship banner. I think it was NHL08 where they had a longer version of raising the banner, NHL 11 had a more abbreviated version and it’s NO where to be found in NHL 25. Bring it back. 
6. Longer Stanley Cup presentation: It’s really short compared to other years. No longer show the other team, no more hand shake line. Bring that back, make the handshake line a few seconds longer. Show your character shake hands with your counterpart. If you are the goalie, then show shaking hands with the other teams goalie. You’re the captain, show that too. A side note for the conference finals. Give the option to raise the conference trophy. 
7. Off season awards: What happened to the off season awards scene? Did you run out of money? It was in other versions and it’s gone in NHL25. If your player wins the award, I would like to see it. I earned it right? If you win on, show one on the table, you win three, show all three, that way you dont need to repeat the cut scene over and over again. 
8. Revamp the locker room. They are the same locker room for seems like decades. Modernize them. I understand team specific would be expensive and take a lot of time, just pick elements from other teams and incorporate it to a new locker room. 
9. Character aging: my character doesn’t age. 
10. Agent client cut scenes: It’s the same ones. Revise them please. And if he needs to talk to me about 3 items, combine them into one, not 3 individual scenes
11. coaches office and GM office could use a refresh. I noticed you reduced the hand size of the GM from other years. Those hands were HUGE in NHL 24. 
12. Cut scenes between puck drops: Show my character between puck drops.
13. More variety of players talking on the ice. I dont know how many times I hear the word “TIME” being yelled out during a game. 

There are things I do like tho. Mascots doing their thing, the hats for a hat trick, the brief scene of bringing out the cup in the playoffs, I even noticed the security guards ID picture matches the guy. Nice touch. 

If I missed something, Im sure someone will add to it. This is strictly on presentation tho.