After several years of only watching hockey during the Stanley Cup Finals, I became a real hockey fan during last year’s regular season. I watched the Boston Bruins’ opening game against the Chicago Blackhawks last October and have only missed a handful of Bruins games since then. I spent my birthday at the Hub on Causeway, watching the Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a thrilling shootout victory. But it’s not just the Bruins: I was consumed with the National Hockey League. I still am. Somewhere in the middle of the NHL season, I put on my very first pair of hockey skates and took to the ice myself. Ten months later I’m on a beer league team and playing hockey at least twice a week. I fell in love with the complexity of hockey: it is both elegant and abrasive, subtle yet explicit. Hockey is a beautiful game.
But there’s one part of hockey culture I hadn’t touched yet: Electronic Arts’ annual NHL video games – the latest of which is NHL 25which was released on October 4 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series You’re dropped into the middle of the game and its complicated user interface, with little instruction on where to start, let alone how to play. I understand why this is the case; I don’t feel like a ton of brand new players are buying every version of the NHL games, which like other EA Sports games are released annually, usually with iterative changes and incremental visual upgrades.
But at the same time Interest in hockey is at an all-time high: Viewing figures are up, attendance at arenas is up and revenues are up highest everan estimated $6.2 billion, according to the Associated Press. NHL vice president of business development Kyle McMann said there is an influx of “female fans, diverse fans” watching hockey games. That interest and growth also extends to practicing the sport. The AP reported this in 2024 participation in youth hockey is on the rise in the United States (although in Canada) with a greater push to bring in new players, especially those from marginalized communities. Hockey programs across North America report an increase in the number of girls playing the game. USA Hockey Reports that girls’ participation has increased by 65% over the past fifteen hockey seasons in the United States. If there was ever a time to embrace a new generation of hockey fans and integrate them into the sports video game community, it would be now.
But NHL 25 is not the game to do that. It’s not a bad game, it’s actually a good game! – but it’s not a game that’s easily accessible to new players. While there is no dedicated tutorial, there are systems that help players learn the controls of the game, such as the trainer on the ice. This mode, which can be toggled on and off in addition to several other accessibility options, adds several UI elements that remind you which buttons do what at appropriate times, and also highlights players you should defend against or areas of the ice you must protect. For example, if you have a good passing option, an icon will appear above your player’s head. When the puck falls to center ice, that icon tells you when to react. And if you play as a right winger in the defensive zone, the ideal area of the ice you should play in will highlight and a game interface will point you to a player you need to defend. The training tool is most useful for basic strategy and positioning, if that’s what you need. But I found I had the most trouble getting used to the controls; specifically, knowing exactly what I wanted to do in the game, but not knowing what controls would get me there. Once you learn the controls, you can actually start playing hockey NHL 25 feels good. The pace of the game feels good and there’s a lot of room for strategy and skill moves.
I was quite insulted when my Be A Pro player was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
After a few hours in Be A Pro, a story campaign where you start as a junior or novice hockey player and work your way to the big leagues, I stopped being frustrated and started having fun. Once you’ve mastered the basic building blocks, there’s room to actually pay attention to some tips; Now that I know how to shoot and pass, I can try simple skill moves like slapshots, poke checks, or stick lifts.
Be A Pro doesn’t seem to be much different than it was NHL 24, according to more experienced playersbut it is the best introduction to the game NHL 25 has to offer. I appreciate all the little details you can change about your character. I can play as a woman despite participating in traditional men’s leagues such as the Canadian Junior Western Hockey League or the NHL. I may also choose to use clear tape to secure my shin guards in exactly the same way I do in the locker room. Hockey equipment and the way it is worn can be very personal, and EA clearly understands that. Regardless, Be A Pro turned out to be the best entry into the low-stakes game NHL 25 as a newcomer, with a mix of lighting management, team dynamics and game time. (As a Bruins fan, however, I was quite offended when my Be A Pro player was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.)
In addition to Be A Pro, there is Franchise mode for players who are interested in running a team from a management perspective and who also want to get on the ice. It seems like it has more management elements, allowing you to work on contract negotiations, roster moves, arena management, conversations with management and coaching staff, analyzing statistics and of course playing time. The difference between Franchise and Be A Pro is that you play as an established team and manage both the NHL and AHL affiliates, rather than as a single player. The perspective shift from Be A Pro to Franchise Mode is interesting, but personally I don’t see myself playing much of this; I’m less interested in building a team as a general manager and more interested in the fantasy of me play in the big leagues.
World of CHEL, a kind of online arcade mode NHL 25is probably the most fun of all I’ve tried. (I haven’t yet braved the separate Hockey Ultimate Team mode, where you build teams from unlockable cards.) This mode is essentially a battle pass arcade experience, where you play within different rule sets (such as three-on-three ) to unlock gear and build a player.
My best moments inside NHL 25 just got my player on the ice; I don’t need all that extra stuff around it. I like the way the game looks and how the players move on the ice. You can tell a lot of care went into getting those things just right. But what I like most NHL 25 is that as a novice hockey player I feel like I am learning a lot about the game of hockey.
Yes, I watched it a lot and took classes, but NHL 25 forces me to think about positioning in a unique way and to immediately see how my body and skills influence the players around me. The top-down perspective of NHL 25 gives a fuller range of the playing field than I would otherwise get in the league matches or training in which I have participated. Powered by what Electronic Arts calls Ice-Q, its new artificial intelligence program for hockey, the overhead visual feels like my own personal coaching whiteboard: Okay, if this player enters that zone, I have to move here or risk giving the other team a scoring opportunity. And the artificial intelligence players are responding to me in the same way. Positioning and strategy feel like they naturally adapt to what’s happening on the ice. It’s a big reminder of something I always remind myself: If you’re just chasing the puck – looking down – you’re going to have a bad time.
What I’ve learned as an adult while trying to learn new things (I took beginner swimming lessons a few years ago when a lifeguard suggested I also stay out of the deep end at my local pool) is that a little struggle is okay. That’s why I think I was able to let go of the frustration of myself NHL 25‘s lack of tutorial or introductory mode. Despite the steep learning curve for a newbie, NHL 25 fits naturally into my little world of hockey.
NHL 25 was released on October 4 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.