NHL 23’s new features could make some longtime fans very happy

polygon.com:

It’s not always the case that an annualized sports video game’s cover athletes signal what’s new and improved this year. But it’s true for NHL 23 and its two cover stars, Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks and Sarah Nurse of the Canadian women’s national team — each one tells you something about the areas of focus for EA Vancouver this time around.

“Trevor and Sarah are really inspiring a more accessible, inclusive future of the sport,” said Sean Ramjagsingh, vice president and general manager for NHL, UFC, and baseball at EA Sports, during a presentation to the media earlier this month. He added that the game’s developers are “taking inspiration from players like Trevor that are pushing the limits.”

Any sports fan who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past year has likely seen some of Zegras’ highlight-reel plays. In December, while standing behind the net facing down all five opposing skaters, he flipped the puck over the goalie to his lone teammate in the area, Sonny Milano, who whacked the puck out of the air past the stunned netminder. That flip pass? It’s in NHL 23, along with one of Zegras’ other favorite moves, the lacrosse-style goal known as “The Michigan,” which EA added two years ago in NHL 21.

One of the main new gameplay features this year is intended to help NHL 23 players make Zegras-esque plays. The developers are calling it Last Chance Puck Movement, a term for more than 500 new animations for puck carriers who are stumbling but can still try to make a move. They’re meant to address a longtime frustration: getting stuck in a jostle animation that momentarily robs you of the ability to control your player. The fan community refers to this issue as “stun lock,” borrowing a term from action and