Summertime can be tough for hockey fans, as it means a long stretch of at least two months without any action on the ice. To fill the void, many fans turn to video games, which have been around for decades and have evolved significantly over the years. As a hockey enthusiast myself, I’ve had the chance to play quite a few hockey video games. From this experience, I’ve compiled a list of the top five NHL video games of all time. This list reflects the perspective of someone born in the early 2000s, so it’s based on the games that have made the biggest impact on me personally.
5) NHL 2K11
NHL 2K11 was one of the best NHL games from my early hockey fandom days. In my opinion, the game provided great gameplay for the fact that it came out in the fall of 2010. It also has the most famous in-game feature, that is when you drive the Zamboni during the intermissions. This is one of the most creative features in an NHL game that provides a ton of fun.
NHL 2K11 had some outdoor features in the game as well. The Winter Classic and Pond Hockey options were a blast to play compared to regular games. The Pond Hockey feature allows you to choose the players for your team. This could allow you to have all your favorite players on the ice at one time. The NHL options had a great setup, including season, franchise, and quick-match modes.
One factor that stood out about the NHL games was the introductions. Each NHL team had a unique on-ice video introduction before the players came out. Once the game started users could fight which provided a new element to Wii NHL games.
4) NHL 15
NHL 15 stands out to me as a top-five game because it has solid gameplay, a great soundtrack, and an overall impressive layout. The game includes the legendary voices of Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, who in my opinion, are the greatest play-by-play voices of the NHL video games. Another factor that went along with Emrick and Olczyk was the iconic NBCSN scoreboard. Just seeing that scoreboard brought back plenty of NHL memories and was a fantastic scoreboard to use in the game.
A huge addition to this game was the Superstar Skill Stick feature. This feature brought a new set of dekes to the game that would allow players to score more highlight-reel goals. These included popular moves like the windmill, one touch, and between-the-legs deke. NHL 15 also had some fantastic effects that made the game great, like breaking the glass with a hit or having a goalie fight. On top of all this, NHL 15 included the hit single My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) by Fall Out Boy. This still remains one of the best pump-up songs in an NHL video game.
3) NHL 17
NHL 17 is easily my favorite NHL game from the PlayStation and Xbox consoles. I think this game had a solid Hockey Ultimate Team mode while making significant changes to the GM Mode. NHL 17 created a new game mode called Draft Champions. This game mode allowed users to draft their own team and play head-to-head with others.
In my opinion, NHL 17 made a lot of meaningful progress. My favorite mode from NHL 17 was the World Cup Of Hockey. This was such an exciting tournament to watch and getting to play as those teams was an awesome feature. The amazing Team North America will never be forgotten with the young guns of Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Johnny Gaudreau. International hockey is a blast to play in video games and NHL 17 provided more of it. With a memorable soundtrack and the celly from Vladimir Tarasenko on the cover, NHL 17 is ranked third on my list.
2) NHL 94
NHL 94 may be the most popular NHL video game of all time. I have only played it a couple of times, but I had to put it near the top of my list. Many hockey fans still rant about NHL 94 to this day. I have heard so many stories of how great this game truly is.
So what made it so great? Well, it is a retro game that was played on the Saga Genesis and the Super Nintendo. The arcade gameplay is a thing of beauty that includes many original hockey sounds like fans cheering, body-checking, and the hockey buzzer. It also had classic organ music that would play throughout the games.
Since it came out in 94 the game includes many legendary players who were still in the league. Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Eric Lindros were all in their golden days. The NHL website even has an article that talks about how nostalgic this game was for some NHL players. NHL 94 will forever be a classic game that played a massive factor in the childhoods of kids in the 80s and 90s.
1) NHL Slapshot
For me, the best NHL video game of all time is NHL Slapshot on the Wii. I grew up playing it, and I still think it’s the best NHL game ever made.
Released with Wayne Gretzky on the cover, NHL Slapshot was truly ahead of its time. Gretzky even starred in a commercial for the game where he breaks furniture while pretending to play hockey in the living room—until he’s handed the NHL Slapshot stick. This stick held the Wii remote, allowing players to stand and play as if they were on the ice. You could deke, shoot, and hit just like in real hockey, feeling every bone-crunching check through the remote’s vibrations.
The game’s unique Peewee to Pro mode was a standout, allowing players to experience the full journey from playing on an outdoor rink to making it to the NHL. For me, it’s no contest—NHL Slapshot is simply the greatest.
What NHL video game is your favourite?
Next Up: Sharks Acquire Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from Predators
