Hockey is a sport that comes to life in a competitive team-based gameplay experience. Whether it’s through speed, skill, or physicality, every player makes an impact on the ice no matter what position they play or their role on the team. So grab some friends and jump into either 6 v. 6 Online Team Play, Online Couch Co-op, or the re-imagined EA Sports Hockey League and prove that great individuals can’t beat a great team.

Sharpen those skates and grab your buddies because the EA Sports Hockey League is back! This fan-favorite online team mode has been re-imagined and lets you choose specialized player classes to deliver a balanced competitive experience on the ice. Player skill and your ability to play as a team will now be the determining factor in who wins and loses hockey games.

Play online with up to twelve skaters including user controlled goalies. Using real-world NHL rosters you can compete in ranked drop-in games against players from around the world or invite your friends to a private OTP session before you step into EA SPORTS Hockey League. The perfect way to play when you and your friends want to jump on the couch, join forces and play some drop-in hockey online. It’s the best place to practice your team play skills before playing OTP or EASHL.

A season simulation from EA Sports NHL 16 predicts that the Anaheim Ducks will take down the Montreal Canadiens and become 2016 Stanley Cup® Champions, earning their second championship in nine years. They will also become the ninth team in NHL history to win both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Cup in the same season. The Ducks will be led to victory by captain Ryan Getzlaf and alternate captain Corey Perry, with the 2016 Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player to his team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs also going to Perry.

The key storylines from the 2015/16 season include:

• The Anaheim Ducks will defeat the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference Final. The Montreal Canadiens will defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.
• After missing the Playoffs last season, the Los Angeles Kings will return to the postseason in a bid to win their third Stanley Cup® Championship in five years. The Kings’ Playoff run will end in the first round, losing in seven games to the Calgary Flames.
• After finishing last in the NHL standings in 2015, the Buffalo Sabres put together a solid season and just miss out on the Eastern Conference Playoffs by a mere two points

 A number of individual players also made the spotlight in the NHL 16 simulation

• With 55 goals under his belt, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will take home the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
• In addition to closing the season in the Top 15 in scoring, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid will establish himself as the league’s top rookie by taking home the Calder Memorial Trophy.
• Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will pile up the awards, including the Hart Memorial Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.
• Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price continues his dominance in the crease and will take home his second consecutive Vezina Trophy honor. Price joins legends like Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy as goalies who have won the Vezina in consecutive yea

A simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

Whether you’re an armchair GM, want to live out your NHL pro fantasy, or build your ultimate dream team, NHL 16 will deliver a single-player game mode for every type of hockey fan - each with new features that you’ve never seen in EA Sports NHL.

Being a GM is about more than just getting the best players, it’s about getting the right players to play well together. Each player on your NHL and AHL team has a different personality that you will have to manage. Deal with trade demands, teammate relationships, and much more by calling team meetings or adjusting your roster to directly affect your team’s on-ice performance.

The way you play dictates the type of player you will become in an all-new Be a Pro progression system. On-ice actions directly influence attributes earned, ensuring that your Pro will reflect the way you play. Sim to your next shift and the ability to work your way up from CHL rookie to an NHL Superstar also make a return in NHL 16.

The most played mode in the NHL series gets even better. Improved player management and the introduction of HUT Single Player Seasons gives you another way to hone your skills before jumping online with HUT Online Seasons or challenging your friends with the Play a Friend feature.

Whether you’re new to the NHL series and looking for pointers or are a grizzled veteran trying to perfect your game, this new training tool will help sharpen your offensive and defensive skills no matter your talent level. Visual aids project shooting targets, passing lanes, open teammates, and more.

Whether you play as a forward, defenseman or goalie, NHL 16 delivers a balanced gameplay experience that makes every position on the ice meaningful to team success. With gameplay innovation on offense and defense, players have new tools to not only score goals, but to prevent them as well.

Utilize a new skating tool that allows you to make refined movements with your skater in any situation. On defense quickly jump into passing lanes and intercept the puck, or walk the blueline on the power play and open yourself up for that one-timer in the offensive zone.

The ability to quickly control a pass or corral a loose puck can be the difference between generating a scoring chance and getting leveled. New puck pickups result in smoother transitions when receiving the puck no matter what your position, giving you more time and control to make your next move. NHL 16 brings the game to life with distinct arena atmospheres, the most realistic players yet, and a story-driven commentary package to pull you into the energy of the game like never before.

Best in class arena authenticity gets even better with the inclusion of authentic arena effects and props including team specific celebrations, mascots, chants, and even signature props like the Lighthouse at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota.

Doc Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, and Ray Ferraro are back and now call the game with even more emotion. Hear Doc’s voice rise and fall with the action on the ice and get analysis from Eddie & Ray on the peaks and valleys of a NHL season. An expanded NBC SPORTS broadcast package and new pre-game intros brings the drama to life in more ways than ever before.

Enhanced facial features and new equipment details synonymous with the league’s top players adds another layer of player authenticity. Use these new equipment elements to customize your own created character giving them a unique look, from custom stick tape, colored skate laces, tinted visors, and more.

One of the oldest and most iconic traditions in hockey has arrived. With accurate representations of beard patterns, length, thickness, and growth rates for individual players, the road to the Stanley Cup just got hairier.

NHL  16 Game Modes

• Play Now
• Be A Pro
• Be A GM
• Season Mode
• Practice Mode
• Playoff Mode
• NHL Moments Live
• Hockey Ultimate Team
• EA Sports Hockey League
• Online Team Play
• Online Versus