Fighting in NHL 24

Ejection After a Boarding Penalty Fight – Update 10/25/23

“Yeah, you don’ do dat”.

I’m one of those guys who figured out, way back in the 90s and due to the luxury of it being a brand new franchise, that it’s not always wise to buy EA’s latest NHL game every year. And it’s hardly an insightful statement at this stage of the figurehead game’s history. There are as of yet undiscovered tribes in the heart of the Peruvian jungle who’d tell you to “catch the next one“.

Between the 92 and 97 versions though, gameplay always changed pretty radically – making it easy to justify the impulse buy. In the years which followed, however, sometimes the updates were minimal, underwhelming and left you feeling a bit ripped off. Or just stupid for getting over-excited, not listening to your inner Don Cherry, or resisting the wiser decision to let the clock run out for an additional 12 months.

Evolution of Hockey Fights in EA NHL Games

Along the way there were exceptions to the rule. Like the short-lived first-person fighting in NHL 2010 -2012 that saw many fans of the fists upgrading sooner than they may have otherwise. But for the most part it’s always wise to read the reviews before purchasing the latest version, see what (if anything) has changed outside of some graphical tweaks exciting to no one outside of the developers, and more often than not I end up skipping a year (or three) in-between. This time around, I gave 23 a pass and have gone from 22-24.

What Has Changed in NHL 24?

Since this is Goonblog, I’ll keep the detailed change descriptions to a minimum. You can read about them in excruciating detail in a thousand other places, and we want to get to the fighting in NHL 24 component as quickly as possible. But, simply put…

The graphics have undergone a significant upgrade. The first thing that struck me was the ice – so realistic and almost beautiful on its own. Players now resemble their real-life counterparts more closely than ever before (they say that every year), and animations are smoother compared to NHL 23 (and definitely 22), offering a more immersive and realistic experience.

While, after about 20 games in Be A Pro mode, I have yet to send an opponent through the glass, apparently that’s now a thing. But NHL 24 definitely has a more sophisticated physics engine, providing a more authentic representation of on-ice actions and especially collisions. It’s early days for me, but I think it may actually be easier to land a solid hit in general.

The most noteworthy changes, regardless of your preferred single or multiplayer mode, are the introduction of brand new Exhaust Engine, Sustained Pressure (reviled upon initial release but since improved) and Goalie Fatigue features. Following the links will learn ya more, and now let’s get on to the fightin’.

How to Fight in NHL 24 – Anything New?

In terms of the basic controls, animations and “feel”? Fuck all. The instigation, grab, duck and punch inputs are all identical to 22/23. If pressed, I’d have to say the brawl-specific graphics are slightly improved – but this obviously isn’t a facet EA has done much to improve over the last 24 months. See my previous article about fighting in NHL 22 for all of those basic instructions, videos, and a cute picture of my dog. But hang back for a second – there is one new(ish) element worth pointing out.

Sticking Up for Your Teammates

I’m not sure if this is a recent update, or something that happened between 22 and 23, but there’s now a greater focus on sticking up for weaker teammates/stars who have gotten into trouble elsewhere on the ice. As opposed to the previous emphasis on just taking care of business you’re solely responsible for. This changes a lot.

It’s not altogether a new thing, and just a personal observation at this early stage, but without any official supporting details (or confirmation from the NHL 24 community at large) the range from which the toughest player on your team can be called in from afar to drop gloves seems to have been doubled. Am I imagining this?

It’s not a perfect feature yet – sometimes your player will be so far away from the initial fracas that by the time you figure out what’s going on the “Accept Fight” prompt will have already disappeared.

If, however, you clue in and decide it’s time to remind the opposing team you’re there to help them fuck around and find out at a more macro level, you’ll skate straight over to the offending mismatched pairing with glee, stripping off your gloves along the way.

As clunky as it can be 13 days after the game’s official release, I have grown to really love this new angle. Initially, I wasn’t paying enough attention after the whistle in the example below, but eventually smartened up and made it over to ground zero just in time to knock 7 bells of shite out of Sean Durzi for interfering with Taylor Hall.

Increased Aggression Accountability

And the reverse is also true. Here we see Josh Brown getting an upset over my BAP player. Only after I kinda/sorta asked for it via a quick post-faceoff naughtiness upon Clayton Keller. Josh found me from afar – and made me regret a lazy decision. #consequences

You will get to drop more teammate-defending hammers, and you will also find yourself having to answer for more personal mischief, from nearby bangers, than in versions past.

Top 20 Best Fighters in NHL 2024

Based on fighting skill, aggression, and overall asshole statistics – here are the top 20 most formidable potential opponents in NHL 2024:

1. Ryan Reaves from Toronto Maple Leafs, leading the pack with an impressive FS rating of 94.
2. Nicolas Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers, standing strong with a FS rating of 92.
3. Milan Lucic of Boston Bruins, a crowd favorite, boasts a FS rating of 90.
4. Tanner Jeannot from Tampa Bay Lightning, holding a respectable FS rating of 88.
5. Nikita Zadorov of the Calgary Flames, rounds out the top five with a FS rating of 87.
6. Tom Wilson from Washington Capitals, with a FS rating of 85.
7. Kyle Clifford of St. Louis Blues, demonstrating his fighting skills with a FS rating of 84.
8. Wayne Simmonds of Toronto Maple Leafs, holding his own with a FS rating of 83.
9. Zac Rinaldo from Calgary Flames, not far behind with a FS rating of 82.
10. Luke Witkowski of Detroit Red Wings, rounding out the top ten with a FS rating of 80.
11. Adam Lowry from Winnipeg Jets, showcasing his fight skills with a FS rating of 78.
12. Brett Ritchie of Calgary Flames, who comes in at 77 FS rating.
13. Nick Foligno from Boston Bruins, with a FS rating of 76.
14. Pat Maroon of Tampa Bay Lightning, showing his prowess with a FS rating of 75.
15. Brandon Tanev from Seattle Kraken, at a FS rating of 74.
16. Austin Watson from Ottawa Senators, who lands at a FS rating of 73.
17. Josh Anderson of Montreal Canadiens, following closely with a FS rating of 72.
18. Patrick Hornqvist from Florida Panthers, holds a FS rating of 71.
19. Chris Kreider of New York Rangers, who boasts a FS rating of 70.
20. Jamie Benn from Dallas Stars, rounding out the top 20 with a FS rating of 69.

Did I imagine these tweaks? Have your early personal experiences with fighting in NHL 2024 differed from my own? I’d love to compare notes at this early stage, so please leave a comment below.