{"id":991447,"date":"2026-01-07T23:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T23:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=459722"},"modified":"2026-01-07T23:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T23:00:23","slug":"nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL 25 isn\u2019t built for newcomers, but it eventually fit into my little hockey world"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure> <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world.png\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-text-align-none\">After several years of watching hockey only during the Stanley Cup finals, I became a bonafide hockey fan during last year\u2019s regular season. I watched the Boston Bruins\u2019 opening night game against the Chicago Blackhawks last October, and I\u2019ve missed only a handful of Bruins games since. I spent my birthday in the Hub on Causeway, watching the Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tense shootout win. But it isn\u2019t only the Bruins: I became consumed by 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 got on the ice myself. Ten months later, I\u2019m on a beer league team and I play hockey at least two times per week. I fell in love with the complexities of hockey: It\u2019s both elegant and abrasive, subtle yet explicit. Hockey\u2019s a beautiful game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">But there is\u00a0 one part of hockey culture that I hadn\u2019t touched yet: Electronic Arts\u2019 yearly NHL video games \u2014 the latest of which is <em>NHL 25<\/em>, which was released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Oct. 4. And that makes sense, because the game is not beginner-friendly in the slightest. You\u2019re dropped into the game and its complicated user interface with little instruction on where to begin, let alone how to play. I understand why this is the case; I don\u2019t have the sense that a ton of entirely new players are buying every iteration of the NHL games, which come out annually like other EA Sports games, typically with iterative changes and incremental visual upgrades.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world-1.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">But, at the same time, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nhl-business-1c85057bf51c57a14b2bb9c9c781f9d6\">interest in hockey is at an all-time high<\/a>: TV ratings have increased, attendance at arenas is up, and revenue is at its <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nhl-sports-gary-bettman-hockey-038f4eef8788cd3720c228c232447010\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nhl-sports-gary-bettman-hockey-038f4eef8788cd3720c228c232447010\">highest ever<\/a>, an estimated $6.2 billion, according to the Associated Press. NHL business development vice president\u00a0Kyle McMann said there\u2019s been an influx of \u201cfemale fans, diverse fans\u201d watching hockey games. That interest and growth extends to playing the sport, too. The AP reported in 2024 that <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-hockey-growth-8e4aacaf752684bcf1e88b2596986973\">youth hockey participation<\/a> is up in the United States (though it\u2019s down in Canada) with an increased push to bring new players in, especially those from marginalized communities. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ckom.com\/2024\/09\/02\/saskatchewan-sees-rise-in-female-hockey-players-officials\/\">Hockey programs across North America<\/a> are reporting an increase in the number of girls playing the game. \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usahockey.com\/girlshockey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USA Hockey reports<\/a>\u00a0that it\u2019s seen an increase in girls&#8217; participation by 65% across the United States over the past 15 hockey seasons. If there ever was a time to embrace a new generation of hockey fans and integrate them into the sports video game community, it would be now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">But <em>NHL 25<\/em> is not the game to do that. It\u2019s not a bad game \u2014 in fact, it\u2019s a good game! \u2014 but it\u2019s not a game that\u2019s easily accessible to new players. While there is no dedicated tutorial, there are systems in place that help players learn the controls of the game, like the on-ice trainer. This mode, which can be toggled on and off alongside several other accessibility options, adds several UI elements that remind you which buttons do what in opportune moments, and also highlights players you should consider defending against or areas of the ice to protect. For example, when you\u2019ve got a good passing opportunity, an icon will appear over your player\u2019s head. When the puck is dropped at center ice, that icon will tell you when to react. And if you\u2019re playing as a right winger in the defensive zone, the ideal area of the ice you should play in will light up, and a game interface will point you to a player to defend. The training tool is most helpful in basic strategy and positioning, if that\u2019s what you need. But I found myself struggling the most to get used to the controls; in particular, knowing exactly what I wanted to do in the game, but not knowing which controls would get me there. Once you\u2019ve learned the controls, actually playing hockey in <em>NHL 25<\/em> feels good. The pace of the game feels right, and there\u2019s a lot of room for strategy and skill moves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>I was quite insulted when my Be A Pro player got drafted by the Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">After a few hours in Be A Pro, which is a story campaign where you start as a junior or early-career hockey player working your way into the big leagues, I stopped being frustrated and started to have fun. Once you\u2019ve got the basic building blocks down, there\u2019s room to actually pay attention to some of the tips; now that I know how to shoot and pass, I can try simple skill moves, like slapshots, poke checks, or stick lifts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">Be A Pro doesn\u2019t appear to be much different than it was in <em>NHL 24<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/EA_NHL\/comments\/1fqt3hh\/nhl_25_first_impressions\/\">according to more experienced players<\/a>, but it\u2019s the best introduction to the game <em>NHL 25<\/em> has to offer. I appreciate all the small details you can change about your character. I can play as a woman, despite participating in traditionally men\u2019s leagues, like Canada\u2019s junior Western Hockey League or the NHL. I can also choose to use clear tape to secure my shin guards the exact same way I do in the locker room. Hockey gear and the way it\u2019s worn can be really personal, and EA clearly understands that. Either way, Be A Pro proved to be the best low-stakes entrance into <em>NHL 25<\/em> as a newcomer, with a mix of light management, team dynamics, and game time. (However, as a Bruins fan, I was quite insulted when my Be A Pro player got drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">Beyond Be A Pro, there\u2019s Franchise mode for players who are interested in running a team from the management perspective as well as hitting the ice. It seems to have more management elements, allowing you to work through contract negotiations, roster moves, arena management, conversations with management and coaching staff, analyzing stats, and, of course, game time. The difference between Franchise and Be A Pro is that you\u2019re playing as an established team, managing both the NHL and AHL affiliates, instead of as a single player. The perspective shift from Be A Pro to Franchise Mode is interesting, but I personally don\u2019t see myself playing a ton of this; I\u2019m less interested in building a team as a general manager and more set on the fantasy of <em>me<\/em> playing in the big leagues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">World of CHEL, which is something of an online arcade mode in <em>NHL 25<\/em>, is probably the most fun of everything I\u2019ve tried. (I\u2019ve not braved the separate Hockey Ultimate Team mode, where you build out teams from unlockable cards.) This mode is essentially an arcade experience with a battle pass, where you play within different rulesets (like three-on-three) to unlock gear and build up a player.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world-2.png\" alt=\"A visual demonstration of NHL 25\u2019s ICE-Q feature.\" title=\"A visual demonstration of NHL 25\u2019s ICE-Q feature.\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"Image: Electronic Arts\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">My best moments in <em>NHL 25<\/em> have been just getting my player on the ice; I don\u2019t need all that extra stuff around it. I love how the game looks and how the players move on the ice. You can see that a lot of care has been taken to get those things just right. But what I like most about <em>NHL 25<\/em> is that, as a beginner hockey player, I feel like I\u2019m learning a lot about the game of hockey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">Yes, I\u2019ve watched a ton of it and taken classes, but <em>NHL 25<\/em> forces me to think about positioning in a unique way, and to directly see how my body and skillset impact the players around me. The top-down perspective of <em>NHL 25<\/em> gives a fuller scope of the area of play than I\u2019d otherwise get in the league games or practices I\u2019ve been a part of. Powered by what Electronic Arts calls Ice-Q, its new hockey artificial intelligence program, the overhead visual feels like my own personal coaching whiteboard: <em>OK, if this player moves into that zone, I\u2019ve got to move here, else I risk giving the other team a scoring chance. <\/em>And the artificial intelligence players react to me in the same way. Positioning and strategy feel like they adjust naturally to what\u2019s happening on the ice. It\u2019s a big reminder of something I always remind myself: If you only chase the puck \u2014 looking down \u2014 you\u2019re going to have a bad time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">What I\u2019ve learned as an adult trying to learn new things (I took beginner\u2019s swim class a few years back when a lifeguard suggested I should stay out of the deep end at my local pool, too) is that a bit of struggle is OK. It\u2019s why, I think, I was able to let go of the frustration of <em>NHL 25<\/em>\u2019s lack of tutorial or introductory mode. Despite its steep learning curve for a newbie, <em>NHL 25<\/em> fits naturally into my little world of hockey.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><em>NHL 25 was released on Oct. 4 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The game was played on Xbox Series X using download code provided by Electronic Arts. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon\u2019s ethics policy here.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/review\/459722\/nhl-25-review\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After several years of watching hockey only during the Stanley Cup finals, I became a bonafide hockey fan during last year\u2019s regular season. I watched the Boston Bruins\u2019 opening night game against the Chicago Blackhawks last October, and I\u2019ve missed only a handful of Bruins games since. I spent my birthday in the Hub on Causeway, watching the Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tense shootout win. But it isn\u2019t only the Bruins: I became consumed by 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 got on the ice myself. Ten months later, I\u2019m on a beer league team and I play hockey at least&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":991448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-991447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NHL 25 isn\u2019t built for newcomers, but it eventually fit into my little hockey world | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After several years of watching hockey only during the Stanley Cup finals, I became a bonafide hockey fan during last year\u2019s regular season. I watched the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/nhl-25-isnt-built-for-newcomers-but-it-eventually-fit-into-my-little-hockey-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NHL 25 isn\u2019t built for newcomers, but it eventually fit into my little hockey world | Arcader News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After several years of watching hockey only during the Stanley Cup finals, I became a bonafide hockey fan during last year\u2019s regular season. 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