Hockey fans around the world have been asking “should I buy NHL 21?” since EA Sports announced the newest edition of its NHL video game series. With an uncertain starting date for the 2020-21 NHL season, fans are looking to get their hockey fix somewhere, but NHL 21 may not be the best bang for your buck, especially for Islanders fans.

NHL 21 improves Be A Pro, ignores Franchise

The beloved Be A Pro mode has been completely revamped this year, with NBA 2K-esque cutscenes and storylines. However, EA fails to live up to the pure quality and depth of the MyPlayer mode in NBA 2K. Players are able to start their character’s journey in the CHL, Europe or right away in the NHL. If you choose any of the two former options, your experience seems to revolve around raising your draft stock. This will be affected by the way you conduct yourself during interviews.

After playing in juniors, the game brings you to a fairly anti-climatic draft screen, where it displays which team selected you. Your NHL career starts from here, with the game placing emphasis on your chase for the Calder, breaking records and winning the Stanley Cup. Compared to the player modes of Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21, NHL makes for a far more intuitive experience.

On the other end of the offline NHL simulation spectrum, franchise mode once again remains relatively unchanged. EA has added in a new trade deadline minigame, but it is nothing to write home about. Franchise is not necessarily a bad mode for EA’s standards, but there is a lot of room for improvement that fans expect to be ready for the next generation of consoles.

No significant changes to gameplay not necessarily a bad thing

Don’t fix what isn’t broken. And EA has kept this philosophy this year with the on-ice gameplay. There are some minor upgrades such as the ability to attempt a “lacrosse goal” and a few new dekes, but these changes are not game-changing like the addition of the skill stick was. Generic faces still look strange to say the very least, but this is something that isn’t likely to change given the NHL series’ position on EA’s totem pole.

HUT Rush is a fun addition to Ultimate Team

Players of Hockey Ultimate Team will appreciate the addition of “HUT Rush” in NHL 21. This mode uses a player’s skill moves to calculate multipliers when scoring a goal. NHL 21 will reward players with HUT bonuses, such as coins, cards, and packs.

World of CHEL adds a club tournaments, practice mode with friends

World of CHEL is a fan-favorite mode, with some minor improvements in NHL 21. A Club Finals mode will be the main highlight allowing for Pro Clubs to compete in ranked tournaments. Winners of the Club Finals will receive a championship banner for their club’s arena. Practicing with teammates against AI is possible as well, allowing teams to create chemistry and plan for their ranked games.

NHL 21 brings the Islanders back to the Nassau Coliseum… somewhat

Even though the Islanders have been playing at the renovated barn for more than half of their home games for two seasons, EA’s Vancouver studio kept the Isles’ secondary home in the game. Fans have repeatedly shown their dismay at the team playing in Brooklyn and the NHL series has finally changed the Islanders’ home arena. EA does not have the licensing rights to the Nassau Coliseum, so the Islanders play in a generic “Islanders Arena” this year. The Islanders will be moving to UBS Arena at Belmont Park, which will be incredible to see in the game next year.

John Smark