NHL 17 News

[vader29]

NHL 17 CONTENT UPDATE #3

The latest NHL 17 content update is now available for download worldwide on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This update includes a new mode to Hockey Ultimate Team called Competitive Seasons, new uniforms and more. Additionally, Tuner 1.02 has been released to address community feedback for gameplay and game modes.

GAMEPLAY (Tuner 1.02):

ALL MODES

Player Updates:

Tuned down puck carrier’s reaction speed to reacquire a puck after losing it.
User Goalie Updates:

Increased ability to make saves in tight to their body and decreased ability when reaching to reward better puck tracking and cutting off angles.
Increased ability to make saves on cross grain shots by tuning movement so goalies will stay square even if the user is requesting to move away from the shot direction.
Increase save success on blocking saves.
Decreased the impact goalie movement to help promote puck tracking so that good angles and positioning mean the most for a goalie’s ability to make a save.
Decreased screen effect slightly.
Increased goalie speed for post-to-post movement.
Increased AI goalie’s awareness for a possible shot off a faceoff.
Increased ability to react after a save to increase their chance of getting back in position and making rebound saves.
Rolled back change from previous patch for the goalie occasionally getting stuck in butterfly as it was causing a worse knock on issue.

EASHL MODE ONLY

EASHL Player Class Updates:

Goalies

Increased all goalie classes height to 6’2”.
Increased speed and agility of all goalies and added variance with Standup being the highest and Butterfly being the lowest.
Increased Hybrid goalie’s recover rating so that he is now faster recovering than the Butterfly goalie.
Increased rebound control of all classes. Standup goalie’s will still have the lowest rating while Butterfly goalies will have the highest.
Increased poke check ability for all classes. Hybrid has the best poke check rating of the three classes and Butterfly has the lowest.
Hybrid goalie now has the best stick side and paddle down rating of the three classes.
Increased vision for all classes. Butterfly is still the lowest and Standup is still the highest.
Increased 5-hole rating for both the Hybrid and Butterfly classes to separate them from the Standup goalie.
Increased rebound control for the AI goalie class.

Players

Lowered hand-eye ratings for all classes and rebalanced the category to see more realistic deflections and bat-ins across the different player classes.
Lowered shooting attributes of Grinder, Power Forward and Enforcer Forward.
Lowered passing attribute for the Grinder.
Increased balance of the Two Way Forward and Hitting Sniper class.
Increased the ability for defensive builds to intercept passes but still kept the same variance in abilities relative to each of the classes.
Raised discipline of the Two Way Dangler.
Tuned down puck carrier’s reaction speed to reacquire a puck after losing it.

PRESENTATION:

The following uniforms have been added:

Added Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial Uniform.
Added Detroit Red Wings Centennial Uniform.
Added Chicago Blackhawks Winter Classic Uniform.
Added St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Uniform.
Added Philadelphia Flyers Stadium Series Uniform.
Added Pittsburgh Penguins Stadium Series Uniform.
Added Frolunda Indians Home and Away Uniforms.
Added Linkoping HC Home and Away Uniforms.
Added Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3rd Uniforms.

The following arenas have been updated:

Pittsburgh Penguins Arena now named PPG Paints Arena.

The following items have been updated:

Fixed CCM Extreme Flex Pro 3 Blocker.
Fixed Regina Pats Medallion to correct logo.
Fixed Buffalo Key Bank Arena scoreboard signage. Increased the minimum rating a player needs to get a saucer lift on a regular pass. Now Playmaker, Jumbo Playmaker and Puck Moving D will be the only players with the advantage.
Fixed camera clipping issue in Semi-Pro arena in EASHL.

EASHL:

Region and Skill-Based Matchmaking restrictions were removed from Private PIN Group Matchmaking.
Anti-griefing logic was removed from Private PIN Group Matchmaking.

FRANCHISE:

Fixed an issue where player fighting bias was being set to 0 when the league year changed from year 1 to 2.

BE A PRO:

Fixed an issue where player fighting bias was being set to 0 when the league year changed from year 1 to 2.

[MizzouRah]

I don't notice a difference... ymmv

[Gangrel]

Based on the notes, I think the only change that relates to offline play is the delay in a checked player picking up the puck again. Everything else is EASHL and human goalies.

[10spro]

'Lowered hand-eye ratings for all classes and rebalanced the category to see more realistic deflections and bat-ins across the different player classes.'

This can't be good for the Dragons...

[MizzouRah]

Based on the notes, I think the only change that relates to offline play is the delay in a checked player picking up the puck again. Everything else is EASHL and human goalies.

I did notice that last night.. so that's good.

It's unfortunate they didn't apply the goalie stuff to AI goalies, they really need work... although maybe Allen is playing like he is in real life for me.

[MizzouRah]

I made some goalie slider tweaks and this game is finally where I want it to be. I'm having a great time now and my Blues are fighting for a playoff spot!

[Rodster]

For those that don't have EA Access both Sony and Microsoft are selling the game for $9.99

[Diablo25]

First look at NHL 18 tomorrow during NHL Awards.

[vader29]

First look at NHL 18 tomorrow during NHL Awards.

SPOILERS: It's going to suck but we will still buy it.

[Diablo25]

First look at NHL 18 tomorrow during NHL Awards.

SPOILERS: It's going to suck but we will still buy it.

Indeed.

[10spro]

I am boycotting it...

[Naples39]

Honestly NHL series has gone pretty stale for me. I bailed on 17 way earlier than previous years, and first time in memory new release isn't insta-buy for me.

[Jimmydeicide]

Im with you Naples i would so love it if everyone just gave EA the middle finger for this stale s*** they keep pumping out and trying to pass off as Hockey.
The last innovative thing they did was the skill stick in 07.
f*** you Ramjag and your shitty AI and HUT.

[TCrouch]

NHL17 was the first time in history I never bought NHL at release, dating back to the Sega Genesis. When it released on EA Access my buddy and I started playing again on Friday nights, but Madden has been so good that we pretty much did only that for most of this release cycle.

I think I just don't know enough about it to tell one version apart from another, like I can with Madden. I pretty much get into the zone, either dump it or hard around the boards, or try to kick it to a defenseman and cycle the puck to get a decent shooting lane. But all of the moves and dekes and crap that guys do in online games, I never tried to figure those out.

So other than minor AI changes year to year where players get a bit smarter and goalies get a bit more beatable, I don't see a ton of changes. I still think video game hockey is the greatest 1 vs. 1 game out there, as far as sports go. But I get the same fun time from NHL16, and now 17. I couldn't tell you the major differences, and skipping out on the early days didn't bother me at all this time.