NHL 98 (0)

NHL 98
First release date
1997-09-30
Platform
Genesis Super Nintendo Entertainment System PlayStation Saturn PC
Developer
EA Canada High Score Productions Al Baker & Associates
Publisher
EA Sports
Theme
National Hockey League EA Sports NHL
Franchise
National Hockey League EA Sports NHL

Overview

NHL 98 is EA's yearly NHL franchised hockey game for the 1997 season. For the first time, the series includes National Teams. Although the developers were unable to get the official Nagano Olympic license, they were able to have national teams with corresponding rosters.

EA also introduced for the first time in their NHL series 3Dfx Glide support which dramatically changed their graphics from previous years (although the SNES and Genesis versions of the game continued to look like the previous 2D games). The game was the last NHL game to be released on SNES and Genesis.

Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche is the game's cover athlete. Mario Lemiuex appears in the Saturn version of the game, although he had already retired at the end of the 1996-97 NHL Season.

Gameplay

Game Modes

  • Exhibition: Single game, pick a team and one for the opponent and face against the computer or a friend.
  • Season: Play all 82 games of the 1997-98 NHL season, trade players, sign free agents and go through the ups and down of a full season.
  • Practice: Try situations like penalty kills, power plays, odd man rushes. Select how many players desired versus how many players the opposing teams have.
  • Skill Challenge: Try some of the challenges that have been made popular with the NHL's All Star game, such as faster skater, accuracy shooting, skating around cones and 2 on 0 goalie scenarios.
  • Shoot Out: One on One, goalie versus a skater on a breakaway.

Teams & Rankings

In addition to the then 26 NHL Teams (before Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild), two All Star Teams and only 3 National Teams (United States, Canada, Europe).

Here are the default NHL Team Rankings:

TeamEven StrengthPower PlayPenalty KillingGoaltending
Anahiem Mighty Ducks9th6th22nd11th
26th16th21st26th
6th26th13th6th
21st8th17th13th
19th4th10th19th
14th17th11th7th
1st3rd2nd5th
2nd19th16th3rd
5th7th4th2nd
13th6th18th16th
7th21st7th4th
24th25th3rd20th
Montreal Canadians17th13th26th23rd
3rd23rd1st1st
22nd22nd15th18th
8th1st25th1th
16th11th20th12th
4th18th6th8th
11th5th5th15th
10th2nd23rd25th
25th20th12th24th
12th15th14th14th
20th24th8th17th
23rd14th19th22nd
15th10th24th21st
18th12th9th9th

Players with 100 Rating

There are several players in the game that are by default rated 100, they are:

NameTeamPosition
Paul KariyaAnahiem Mighty DucksLeft Wing
Dominik HasekGoaltender
Peter ForsbergCenter
Sergei FedorovCenter
Rod Brind'AmourLeft Wing
Eric Lindros
Jaromir JagrRight Wing
Keith TkachukLeft Wing
Paul CoffeyRight Defense
Ray BourqueLeft Defense