Franchise mode and CHEL ideas
Custom Draft Classes
NBA 2K lets you download realistic draft classes or create your own players. In NHL, after a few years every save starts feeling the same because the generated prospects become generic. Custom draft classes would instantly add replayability and make every franchise mode feel unique.
Full Commissioner Control
Let players control every team if they want.
- Edit contracts
- Edit trades
- Relocate teams
- Create expansion teams
- Edit draft classes
- Control retirements
NBA 2K’s MyNBA gives players almost unlimited freedom. Why can’t NHL?
Retired Jersey Numbers
It’s crazy that franchise legends can retire and their number is back in circulation.
Teams should automatically retire numbers based on milestones such as:
- Hall of Fame induction
- Games played
- Stanley Cups
- Franchise records
Dynamic Commentary
Imagine hearing things like:
“Connor Bedard just broke the franchise scoring record.”
“This is Montreal’s first playoff appearance in six years.”
“The Rangers have won 12 straight games.”
Instead, NHL commentary often feels like it’s game one of the season every single game.
Gameplay Frustrations
EA says they want realism, but sometimes realism gets confused with randomness.
If you’re cycling the puck well, creating high-danger chances, and maintaining possession, the game should reward that more consistently.
Nothing is more frustrating than dominating possession for 15 minutes and losing because of a couple random bounces. That can happen occasionally in real life, but it happens way too often in the game. Sometimes it feels like bad gameplay gets rewarded.
Good hockey isn’t just about shot totals. It’s about creating advantages, controlling the game, and generating quality chances. The game should recognize that.
Why NBA 2K Feels More Replayable
You can:
- Download draft classes
- Create expansion teams
- Control every franchise
- Change rules
- Edit players
- Relocate teams
- Build a 30-year universe
Every save feels different.
In NHL, after 8-10 seasons:
- Generated players look similar
- Commentary gets stale
- League history feels disconnected
- No jersey retirements
- No real storylines
The world doesn’t evolve.
The Biggest Miss
The thing that would keep people playing for hundreds of hours isn’t better graphics.
It’s league immersion.
People remember Gretzky’s jersey retirement, Crosby’s final season, Ovechkin chasing records, and franchise legends.
NHL Franchise Mode tracks a lot of stats but rarely turns them into meaningful stories.
Add replayability to your game. Add GM Connected back. It’s really not that hard.
Imagine everything mentioned above plus GM Connected. You might actually have a game people are excited to buy every year instead of feeling like they’re playing the same franchise mode with a roster update.
