EA Sports has officially announced NHL 27, with 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini gracing the cover. The new entry in the pro ice hockey series includes all the stuff fans would expect, including better graphics, rebuilt team playbooks, and updated camera work, but there were also a few reveals fans might not have seen coming.
One of the marquee new additions to NHL 27 is Connected Franchise, a feature fans have requested for years. It hasn’t been in an NHL game since 2013’s NHL 14. People were initially excited about the mode coming back, but the hype didn’t last long for some, after key detail about the mode was uncovered.
The NHL 27 website confirms that Connected Franchise only supports human-controlled teams, and a screenshot from the announcement trailer states, “Teams without a human user cannot be controlled, traded with, or played against.” Given that, players will need to have 32 real human people in a league. This is upsetting some fans, who are asking EA to add in AI teams.
There was also some confusion about if Connected Franchise would be limited to a single season, but that is not the case.
“Want to clear up one misconception: NHL 27 Connected Franchise is not limited to one season. Your league does not end after Year 1,” NHL 27’s franchise strategy and marketing manager said. “You can continue the same league, and roster moves like trades and free agent claims will carry forward. But for this year, aspects like player aging, retirement, season stats, do not carry over. We know those features matter, and the upcoming blog and Feedback Portal will give the community a place to share what they want prioritized next as we continue to build on the mode. More to share soon!”
NHL 27 also features a new broadcast commentary team with John Buccigross and Darren Pang. The game launches on September 11 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.