History YMMV / NHLHockey

* ToughActToFollow: ''NHL 2004'' is still seen by many as not only the greatest game in the NHL series, but also the greatest hockey video game ''of all time''. To the point that it has developed a passionate modding community that has kept the game alive through a project called [[https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/nhl04rebuilt/ NHL 2004 Rebuilt]]. It's even generally agreed by fans that it's best to just skip the post-2013 NHL games and play NHL 2004 Rebuilt instead.

* GrowingTheBeard: The series went through this several times. First with ''NHL 94'', the third game in the series, which is widely credited as not only one of the greatest sports games of all time but is even credited with bringing more attention to the NHL at a time when professional hockey was considered relatively niche compared to American football or baseball. This happened again with ''NHL 99'', which was arguably the first example of a 3D NHL game done right[[note]]unless maybe you count the [=DOS=] version of ''NHL 96'', which technically had 2D sprites on a 3D rink[[/note]].

* GrowingTheBeard: After a lull in the early-to-mid-2000s with lagging sales, ''NHL 08'', with its new control scheme and improved gameplay, was a commercial and critical success, as were the following iterations.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series fell ''hard'' on this in the eighth generation. After a very strong showing in the prior generation (with NHL 14 even considered to be among the best games in the series), the first in the series to arrive on eighth gen consoles (NHL 15) was a [[ObviousBeta broken mess with glitchy AI, weak graphics, and a number of longstanding features missing.]] A number of these problems were fixed throughout the next few games, but then the series hit another brick wall with NHL 21. A game that was also riddled with glitches, introduced some downright bizarre physics, and maintained EA's now infamous focus on the microtransaction-laden "Ultimate Team" mode at the expense of improving or evolving the other game modes. It's now safe to say that the series is in the midst of a major DorkAge. And it's unclear when (or if) it will come out of it.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series fell ''hard'' on this in the eighth generation. After a very strong showing in the prior generation (with NHL 14 even considered to be among the best games in the series), the first in the series to arrive on eighth gen consoles (NHL 15) was a [[ObviousBeta broken mess with glitchy AI, weak graphics, and a number of longstanding features missing.]] A number of these problems were fixed throughout the next few games, but then the series hit another brick wall with NHL 21. A game that was also riddled with glitches, introduced some downright bizarre physics, and maintained EA's now infamous focus on the microtransaction-laden "Ultimate Team" mode at the expense of improving or evolving the other game modes.

* ToughActToFollow: ''NHL 2004'' is still seen by many as not only the greatest game in the NHL series, but also the greatest hockey video game ''of all time''. To the point that it has developed a passionate modding community that has kept the game alive through a project called [[https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/nhl04rebuilt/ NHL 2004 Rebuilt]].

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The fighting mechanics originally looked pretty realistic in ''NHL 2004'', but got overhauled in ''NHL '07'', where fights ended in just one or two punches. It got changed again in ''NHL '10'' to a first-person view, and reactions to it have been mixed. [[AvertedTrope It seems they finally got it right]] in ''14'' which switches to a third-person view with a repurposed engine from EA's ''Fight Night'' franchise.

** ''NHL 19'' introduced a new mechanic where the referees could wave off goals if they felt there was goalie interference. The thing is, this mechanic is very finicky, to the point where players from the opposing team could be nowhere near the goalie and the ref would still wave it off, or be inside the crease and the ref wouldn’t wave it off.

** NHL 19 introduced a new mechanic where the referees could wave off goals if they felt there was goalie interference. The thing is, this mechanic is very finicky, to the point where players from the opposing team could be nowhere near the goalie and the ref would still wave it off, or be inside the crease and the ref wouldn’t wave it off.

* DarthWiki/MostAnnoyingSound: The "click-click clack-clack" sound[[note]]Supposedly the goalie banging his stick on the ice[[/note]] that comes at the end of a penalty.
** TruthInTelevision: That sound can actually be heard in RealLife NHL games, when the team that has committed a penalty has managed to successfully kill it and you can hear the goaltender of the opposing team tap his stick on the ice during the waning seconds of the power play.

* MostAnnoyingSound: The "click-click clack-clack" sound[[note]]Supposedly the goalie banging his stick on the ice[[/note]] that comes at the end of a penalty.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The fighting mechanics originally looked pretty realistic in ''NHL 2004'', but got overhauled in ''NHL '07'', where fights ended in just one or two punches. It got changed again in ''NHL '10'' to a first-person view, and reactions to it have been mixed. [[AvertedTrope It seems they finally got it right]] in ''14'' which switches to a third-person view with a repurposed engine from EA's ''Fight Night'' franchise.
* TheyJustDidntCare: The reaction from some fans of the franchise about the lack of attention paid to recent games' creation modes, particularly Create-A-Team.
** What critics are saying about the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne release of ''15'', calling it [[ObviousBeta an incomplete game]].

* BrokenBase: The Commentary by Jim Hughson and Don Taylor on the PC releases from NHL 2001-NHL 2003. Hilarious irreverent comedy that increased the entertainment factor, or annoying, unless noise that was distracting and didn't provide the same immersion that past realistic commentary did?

* BrokenBase: The Commentary by Jim Hughson and Don Taylor on the PC releases from [=NHL2001-NHL2003=]. Hilarious irreverent comedy that increased the entertainment factor, or annoying, unless noise that was distracting and didn't provide the same immersion that past realistic commentary did?

* BrokenBase: The Commentary by Jim Hughson and Don Taylor on the PC releases from [=NHL2001-NHL2003=]. Hilarious irreverent comedy that increased the entertainment factor, or annoying, unless noise that was distracting and didn't provide the same immersion that past realistic commentary did.

* BrokenBase: The Commentary by Jim Hughson and Don Taylor on the PC releases from NHL2001-NHL2003. Hilarious irreverent comedy that increased the entertainment factor, or annoying, unless noise that was distracting and didn't provide the same immersion that past realistic commentary did.