NHL 17

NHL 17 is an ice hockey simulation video game powered by the Ignite engine, created by Electronic Arts.[1] It features game presentation in the style of the NHL on NBC, with commentary being provided by Mike Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (color) and Ray Ferraro (ice-side reporter), with the network's score bug appearing on-screen as well.[2][3] The game can be played on five different difficulties; "Rookie", the lowest, "Semi-Pro", "Pro", "All-Star", and "Superstar", the highest.[3][4] Players are able to select from three different control schemes, called "NHL '94 controls", "Skill Stick" and "Hybrid"; NHL '94 controls are very simplistic as they strictly use the controller's buttons for actions, aside from moving the player, which the left stick does; Skill Stick controls utilize the controller's right stick in order to both shoot and deke; Hybrid controls are similar to NHL '94 controls but have some more action options. All schemes have dedicated goalie controls, for when the player manually controls one, which are the same across all schemes.[5] If they wish, the player can enable the On-Ice Trainer, a system made to assist the player as they play.[6]

During a game, players maneuver around the ice with normal skating and deking and are able to seamlessly pass to teammates to create scoring chances. If a player scores a goal, they are able to celebrate the way they want to; many new celebrations were added to the game.[7] One newly added celebration was a mimicked version of baseball player José Bautista's iconic bat flip that occurred during the 2015 American League Division Series.[8] Defensively, the player can skate their way to the puck carrier and have a chance to break up the play. The player has multiple ways of doing so; pushing the carrier off of the puck, delivering a body check, or pushing them towards the boards of the ice.[7]

Improvements were made to parts of the game's artificial intelligence and physics systems. A key improvement to the AI was the "Reactionary Save Intelligence" system made for goalies. This system has the goalie process the shooter's position and scoring angle before committing to a certain kind of save.[7] The goalie will make either a technical or athletic save depending on the type of shot that they are facing; if the goalie has a good portion of the net covered already, they will block the puck with their body in their current position; if they are caught off guard, then they will resort to their athleticism and quick reflexes to make a save instead.[9] EA also developed new motion capture for the goalies to match the movements of real-life goalies. In the area of player physics, battles between forwards and defenders in front of the net have been improved. These "net battles" were tuned to be more realistic; the player uses more stick play in these battles and can force tie-ups with the defender.[7]

NHL 17 features several game modes including both new and returning ones. Play Now is an offline match that can be played solo or with a friend via local connection. Players can also play one-on-one matches with other NHL 17 users online in the Online Versus mode.[10] Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) has players create a custom team by opening packs containing trading cards to gain players and build a stronger team.[11] Replacing the chemistry system of past NHL titles is the new Synergy system. Each player now has a special synergy, either a "Player Synergy" or "Team Synergy". These are activated when a certain number of players on a team have the same synergy. Player Synergies grant specific attribute boosts only to players while Team Synergies grant every player on the team attribute boosts.[12][13] "Dynamic Sets" are also introduced to HUT. This is a crafting system in the mode that allows players to trade in items or players by putting them into a set and receiving a reward of higher value afterward. Newer and different sets were introduced over time.[14] Be a Pro allows players to pursue a career in the National Hockey League with their own custom-made player.[10] The EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL) allows players to create a custom player and join clubs formed by other NHL 17 users. Clubs can be custom-made, featuring custom names, logos, uniforms and arenas. The club's arena becomes larger and gets improved as the club progresses in the mode.[11][15] EASHL can also be played outside of clubs in the Drop-In mode, where players can match up with other users and play a single 6-on-6 game together. This kind of game mode can also be played outside of EASHL with real-world teams in the Online Team Play mode.[10] Other modes include Shootout Mode, where players can play a single round of shootout either offline or online, Practice Mode, where players can practice scenarios with a full team or practice as a goalie, Season Mode, where players assume control of a team in any hockey league and play a full season, and Playoff Mode, which is a one-off run of the Stanley Cup playoffs.[10]

New modes were also introduced to the game. The Be a GM mode, which had the player become the general manager of any NHL team they choose, was expanded into the Franchise Mode. Team owners are introduced to the mode and players must now meet the team owner's expectations. The player can also potentially relocate their team to different city. If they relocate a team, they are free to build their own stadium and rebuild the team's image from the ground-up, similar to the team builder in EASHL.[15][16][17] For the second time in the NHL series, the World Cup of Hockey is playable;[17] NHL 2005 was the first NHL title to feature it.[18] Players may play through the tournament with any team from the World Cup they choose. The actual players, jerseys and logos for each team all appear in-game.[17] The Draft Champions mode is introduced to the series after a similar mode was featured in the Madden NFL series prior. A fantasy draft simulation, players are able to select NHL superstars in a 12-round draft and create their own team with them. After drafting, the player is then able to enter a tournament against the computer or other players online.[19] The player also has a chance of reaching the Draft Championship during the tournament.[17] Also added to NHL 17 is the ECHL, a North American hockey league. All 27 teams in the league are playable, with all team jerseys, logos and players appearing.[15][20] The game also includes three Swiss league stadiums.[21][22