Mode/Feature | Description | Game Modes Applicable |
Winter Classic | Even if it's just in a generic football stadium outdoors, I do not care. Put this in the game. Another cool add would be letting me create Winter Classic jerseys for my team in GM mode if we were to play in the Winter Classic. | GM Mode, Play Now, Be A Pro. |
Roster Sharing | Personally, this would be a top 3 most important thing to add to this game however unfortunately there is a very real chance it will never happen. The updated rosters are one of EA’s main selling points and having this feature would defeat that purpose. We should be able to share rosters and draft classes like you can in every other sports game. (except FIFA I think) | GM Mode, Play Now, Be a Pro |
Much Improved Player Likeness | I can understand how some AHL bums wouldn’t have their faces scanned into the game but how is it possible that a player like John Carlson isn;t scanned into the game? How is it possible the cover athlete of NHL 20 hasn’t had an updated face scan since his rookie season 4 years ago? It’s time for every single NHL player to have a realistic and UPDATED face scan, can’t say we don’t have the technology for it. | Everything |
Player Tendencies | Who in EA thought it was a good idea to just give Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson of all people ridiculous magical shooting tendencies so that he is just a consistent 30 goal scorer no matter what. Like they do in 2k, have editable player tendencies for things like shooting, passing, blocking shots, deking, etc. | Everything |
Custom Soundtrack | Minor but could be a thing, instead of me turning off the EA sound track so that I could hear my Spotify through my PS4, just let me upload my playlist to the game. If this feature is added, let us use our music as a custom goal horn. | Everything |
World Juniors | Even though EA doesn’t have the rights to the IIHF, I think it would be cool if we could play in what is my favourite hockey tournament. Call something like the “World Under 20s” or something to that nature and have that actual tournament in the game. This could be in Be A Pro where my player makes Team Canada and competes for the gold or in GM mode where I can use this tournament as a tool to scout players | Be a Pro, GM mode, Tournaments |
Tournaments | Many didn’t know this but custom tournaments aren’t a thing in NHL 20. You can’t play the World Cup of hockey or even an international tournament in general. That is an absolute joke. Let us at least have that but if the developers are feeling generous, let us play in an IIHF world championship type in Be a Pro in April/May. | Tournaments, Be a Pro |
Warm-Ups | In NHL 12, my player was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers when they still sucked but my 8 year old self still remembers my player skating out to warm up with the lights dimmed and the music blasting. It got me hyped and I would like something similar to that in NHL 21. Let us shoot around on the goalie or even an open net during pregame warmups for like a minute or so just to have the feeling of being an professional hockey player. | EASHL, Be a Pro |
Scoreboard and Presentation | First of all, this isn’t football meaning the scoreboard goes on the top of my screen. Whether it be in the corner like ESPN or middle like Sportsnet, I don’t care whoever suggested puting the scoreboard on the bottom deserves a stern talking to. That being said, the presentation this year was really good but hearing this new animated like commentator made me miss some of the calls from Doc Emrick and Eddie Olzcyk. Bringing in a guy in the NHL with an icon such as Joe Bowen would go a long way to making this feel like an NHL simulator. | Everything |
Improved AI | This goes without being said every year but some more AI logic improvement would help the game a lot. Things like gap control, breakouts and repetitiveness need some serious improvements. Same with shootouts and breakaways; I had always wondered why the AI’s have always been so bad on these when I feel like it would be the easiest thing to code. (Now that's just me and my basic grade 11 computer science knowledge) | Everything |
Improved Animations | Picking up the puck always is tough but improvements to that would go a long way. Passing seems weak oftentimes, saucer passes rarely work, more dekes would allow us to be more creative, rebounds need to be much more realistic but most of all, poke checking. I think they should completely overhaul the poke checking system in general because it just seems unrealistic. It’s a penalty 99% of the time if you do it from behind to someone. Anyone who has played hockey in real life will tell you that it is near impossible to spam pokecheck and skate backwards at full speed. They should make poke checks a high risks but when they work high rewards. If a defender misses a pokecheck in real life then you best believe that they are either getting dangled or getting made look like a pilon. These aren’t the only things that could use improvements but they would definitely help. | Everything |
Breaking the glass | It was always so much fun as a kid to be able to break the glass whether it be a Shea Weber slapshot or a Zdeno Chara hit, EA needs to bring this simple feature back into the game | Everything |
Celebrations | They have literally been the same since NHL 15, and it's time for an updated celebration menu. I want it to be like FIFA where different button combinations do different celebrations. | Everything |
Goalie Mask Editor | If NHL 2k11 on the Wii could do it in 2010, then I think EA Sports NHL could do it on the PS5 for NHL 21. Even just something like 15 different templates with and we just use the colour palette, it would be better then the same generic masks we’ve had since like NHL 11. | GM Mode, EASHL, Be a Pro, Custom Rosters |
Suspensions | If a player lays a dirty hit or if they are in the CHL and fight more than 3 times a season then there should be an actual suspension system. | Be a Pro, GM mode |
Nintendo Switch/PC | If this game were to come to the Nintendo Switch then I might just go out and purchase one for myself. Games like FIFA and 2k are already on the switch and it's time for the NHL series to hope on the trend. | Everything |
More International Leagues and Teams | Obviously the NCAA wouldn’t allow this and I’m not too sure if the KHL either but to see more leagues in the game would be a nice little touch. Add leagues like the Swedish and Finnish 2nd league for Be a Pro too. There should also be more international teams such as South Korea, Lithuania and Hungary. | Everything |
Improved Draft Interview Stage | For GM mode, allow for more draft interviews with more questions. As for Be a Pro, let me get interviewed by however many teams are interested in me like in NHL 14. Let me give them answers that will make me seem more enticing for them or answers that will turn them in the wrong direction. | Be a Pro, GM mode |
Goalie injuries | During play it is literally impossible for goalies to get injured. Make this feature optional for offline game modes | Everything |
One-Touch Passing | One touch passing could make for some sick highlight reel passing plays. If they could add one-timers in NHL 08, then they could certainly do this. | Everything |
Custom Teams | When it comes to customization, NHL is actually really good compared to other EA games but it could always be improved. One thing I would like is for the user to be able to write their custom arena name around the circle. Custom and uploadable logos like there are in NBA 2k would be a dream but I doubt that happening. | GM Mode, Custom Teams, EASHL |
Player DNA | This option is in 2k, it is basically where you can take the looks, ratings and/or tendencies of a player and apply them to a CAP. This should also be shareable for users to other users. | Create a Player, EASHL |
Updated Ratings system | Top prospects in the CHL will have like 70s for skating while skaters in the NHL who are awful skaters will have 80s for skating. Get rid of that. Players who are drafted top 3 and are NHL ready normally have all the skills (especially skating) just lack strength and poise, make it like that. | Everything, Mainly GM mode |
Crossplay | PS4 players should be able to play the same game as XBOX players. This game on the PS5 should have the technology for crossplay | Everything |
Quarantine Mode | Maybe add a setting that would make users play in an empty arena with no fans. It would be silly but I feel like it could be cool to look back at this mode in the future to see how this pandemic has affected the lives of many. Not a necessity to the game but would be a neat little thing. | Everything |
Women’s International Teams | I understand that women’s hockey is nowhere near NHL talent but it is still hockey and should deserve a little more respect. Don’t tell me you don’t remember that 2014 Olympics final! Add maybe 6-8 women’s teams to the game. No reason not too, would be a great PR move by EA. | Everything |
More Arenas and Throwback Arenas | I would like to see more AHL, CHL, SHL, etc arenas in the game to give it a more real feel. Also a neat feature would be to play in old arenas like Joe Louis or Maple Leaf Gardens | Everything |
NHL 21 Cover | Finally, over the last 10 NHL games, the cover athlete has been a Canaidan on an American team 7 times. Therefore it only makes sense for Nathan Mackinnon to don the cover of NHL 21, he is a young, Canadian, recognizable face playing on an American team in a diehard hockey market. Not to mention the Avs colours look so sick on the cover! | Cover |