As a big sports fan, I have long enjoyed a variety of sports games. Being Canadian, the NHL franchise has been a staple in my life for 30+ years now. I’ve skipped the last couple of years because too often the games feel the same. EA is looking to change that this year and if the reveal trailer of NHL 27 is of any indication, it’s succeeding.

EA had been teasing things for awhile now. A couple of days ago they announced that Macklin Celebrini will be the youngest cover athlete ever. Celebrini was a natural choice for the cover coming off a historic season becoming just the 7th player in NHL to record 100+ points in a season as a teenager. Well 8th technically since Sidney Crosby did it twice.

NHL 27 will release in and around its usual yearly release slot, this year being September 11th. Those who decide on the deluxe edition will get the game a week earlier on September 4th.

Fresh, Authentic Presentation

Today’s reveal puts a heavy emphasis on the new presentation for NHL 27. After it had leaked that we would see a new commentary crew we got official confirmation today. Darren Pang and John Buccigross will be the new voices of the game, replacing Cheryl Pounder and James Cybulski. This ends a run from the previous duo that started in NHL 20.

And while the voices of the game is a big change, perhaps the biggest change will be how the game itself looks and feels. EA Vancouver is putting a big emphasis on making sure every arena feels different and authentic to the team that plays there.

Not only will each arena look like it should, but it will also sound like the home team arena as well. Each arena will have the specific teams goal song as they look to become as authentic as possible. Momentum will also build for the home team if they are playing well. This may seem like a small thing but its part of what makes hockey so enjoyable to watch, and I’m excited to see how they implement it.

Heavily Requested Mode Returns

Franchise Mode has long been a staple of sports games, and NHL has been no different. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 days EA experimented with an online version of franchise mode before ultimately cancelling it in NHL 14.

NHL 27 is bringing that back with Connected Franchise. According to the description “Connected Franchise lets you create and run your own online league with up to 32 human-controlled teams, complete with customizable rules, flexible scheduling, roster management, and powerful commissioner tools.”

The mode wasn’t overly popular back in the day but it has been requested a ton since it was removed. We will have to see how EA can make it better and justify keeping it around for future games.

Pre-Order Information

Pre-order EA SPORTS™ NHL® 27 Deluxe Edition and receive:

• 7 Days Early Access
• Macklin Celebrini WOC Limited Loadout
• HUT New Wave Celebrini Pack

Plus, included with NHL 27 Deluxe Edition:

• 4600 NHL Points
• HUT Icon Choice Pack
• HUT Heroes Choice Pack
• HUT NHL Player Pack
• HUT Fan Choice Pack
• 2x WOC Double XP Tokens

Players who pre-order the EA SPORTS™ NHL® 27 Standard Edition will receive:

• HUT NHL Player Pack
• 500 NHL Points
• WOC 2XP Boost

You can pre-order NHL 27 now for Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5.