Hockey Video Games

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:

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

How to Fight in NHL 22

* Looking for our article on How to Fight in NHL24?

Chris has already spent ample time discussing how happy we are to be back, so just assume I feel the same way and lets get down to business. It’s important business, too. Because it involves hockey video games as a potential outlet for those of us bemoaning the way fighting in the NHL has changed, decreased, been bastardized by mixed martial arts moves or however the hell else you want to put it.

Alright, maybe it isn’t that important. And if last week’s real world games were any indication, the art form is far from dead, but I sure have had a lot of fun over the past few months since getting a PS5 and immediately downloading NHL 22. Possibly too much – as my personal hygiene has suffered, my new Boston Terrier puppy’s growth has been stunted from neglect/malnourishment, and I haven’t so much as spoken to a real human woman in at least 6 months. Relax, I’m only kidding. About the dog.

Look at my New Dog. Look at Him, Goddamn You!
Since I brought him up, it seems like a good time to introduce you to the newest member of the GoonBlog family. Meet Gooseberry (“Goose” for short) who recently turned one-year-old and is the friendliest and most social dog I’ve ever met, let alone owned. I’ll just have to post an update when he finally stops shitting in the kitchen.

After some of the high-strung Bostons I’ve had in the past (rest in power, Shep and Pixie), I was due for that luck of the draw I always hear people talking about. Well, this little dude is tha shiznit.

Hockey Video Games – I Likes Them
Where was I? Oh yes, a grown man on the wrong side of 40 talking about video games in public. NHL 22 is great fun, even though I’ve never even tried playing online because I know I’ll immediately get smoked by a 12-year old and fall into a deep depression. The “Be a Pro” mode is where it’s at for me. And what a career #41 has had so far!

Drafted to the Sabres, then traded to the Senators, and have now ended up a proud Boston Bruin going into my 4th season. I’ve led all three teams to a Stanley Cup victory and won the Conn Smythe – even though the only way I know how to score is via a lucky 3-hole slapshot from the right wing.

What were you thinking, Cracknell? Sit the fuck down.

Probably sounds like I’m limiting myself as to the fun potential, and dating, but I assure you it’s been a blast. I love nothing more than when, in the middle of a very fast-paced game (it’s the new NHL after all), gloves get dropped and I’m suddenly facing off against… well, some of the names of my opponents may surprise you. But we’ll get to that.

There are 4 ways a fight can start in NHL 22:

Double-tap the triangle button and rub your glove in someone’s face. The game, like the modern league, is light on aggressive goons… so this rarely results in anything but an interference penalty, a tongue-lashing from your coach, and a reduction in your “teamwork” and “discipline” statistics.
Absolutely friggin’ nail one of the opposing team’s star players on the open ice or against the boards. If there’s anyone present with even the slightest amount of grit or a dash of the “fighting” metric, they’ll find you, and quickly. And it’s extremely likely your pursuer is gonna be a little light in the ass with no right to be fighting anyone – in either the digital or real world. This can lead to some very one-sided donnybrooks, of which I’ve recorded (nerd alert) and embedded several throughout the article for your viewing pleasure. These are my favorite kind of NHL 22 fights, and your coach and teammates will love them too. If you win, that line gets a boost of energy, too.
Make a late hit, or fire a puck at the goalie, after the whistle. You’ll often find yourself playing against artificial snowflakes who just cannot deal with that level of blatant disrespect, lose their goddamn minds, and come gunning for you. Your coach will not be impressed, and will likely let you know.
You step in for for someone else. Sometimes there will be a kerfuffle which initially doesn’t involve your player at all. In this situation, you’ll get a little popup asking if you want to step in, on your lesser teammate’s behalf, and accept the fight on offer. This will always work in your favor in terms of the “teamwork” metric and delight the coach.

Anyone else unable to hear the name “Owen” without thinking of “Throw Mamma from the Train”?

Light in the Ass, Ref?
Sure, Cracknell has a few fights under his belt. But not many and not recently. Owen Tippett is a big Peterborough boy, but didn’t stand a chance against my pro either – who is my fully psychotic alter ego and was designed to be a killer as far back as day one with the game when I made a point of distributing his attribute points to violent categories.

Who cares about “skating”? Let’s crank that “fighting” skill up to the maximum level for a giggle. And even though Burlington, Ontario is like a second hometown to me, Shane Wright also had absolutely no business being on my dance card. So that’s what I meant earlier when eluding to the fact you may find yourself in the middle of some questionable matchups. Matchups that can end up as multi-game injuries.

Don’t Rub it in, Domi
In the clip below, you can see me striking a couple of unnecessary victory poses on my way to the box. There’s a few to choose from and you can really demonstrate your breathtaking maturity by pressing any one of the main buttons post-fight en route to the sin bin. Other fight-related controls include the ability to throw straight punches, hooks or helmet-displacing uppercuts. You can also dodge and grab on to your opponent’s jersey for a little extra leverage.

A little super-sportsmanlike grandstanding for good measure.

“The Fighting was Better in ’94“
Yeah, the fighting in EA’s NHL hockey game series hasn’t changed much since the last time I forked out for one of them a decade ago, but it sure remains a fun interlude. Come to think of it, I even have a video I recorded way back when NHL 2010 was hot off the presses. That was they year they introduced first-person fighting as an option, but I guess it didn’t catch on. Also, them graphics sure came a long way in the years since. I remember thinking “man, they’ll never top this” at the time. But watching the video back today after so long – it also sounds apparent I was just drunk enough to be thinking that.

“OI, YOU! C’mere and take yer lumps!”

Should I Buy NHL 23?
NHL 23 came out just a few weeks back. While I got excited for a brief moment, I realized it would be stupid not to read a few reviews first – as from year-to-year these editions usually don’t change much and it’s better to make it a twice-per-console-generation type of an investment to let the addition of new features and better graphics catch up. I’m glad I did, because all the opinions said 23 is extremely light on enhancements, and that the “Be a Pro” mode (again, my favorite… because I don’t have the patience to work on actually becoming a “good” player capable of competing online) is virtually identical to the previous year’s. Dah, well – I guess that nutty little psycho #41 has a few seasons left in him yet.

I really didn’t intend to spend an hour writing about hockey video games this evening, and I doubt there will be a line of ladies forming outside my front door as a result.

Should you still be awake, I hope there was some enjoyment to be gleaned from my mis-prioritized choice of topic, and I look forward to checking in with y’all again, real soon. Stay tuned for the upcoming list of “GoonBlog’s Favorite Goddamn Hockey Movies” which I’ve been fiddling with for a month now, and if you have any hockey video game thoughts of your own – please leave them in the comments.

Fighting in NHL 24