Season 1 of Hockey Ultimate Team is officially underway in NHL 26.

One of the biggest HUT content drops players have ever received, there are new Check My Game, Icons, Heroes, Rookies, Captains, XP, and Ranked cards that have been added. 

40+ of the new cards are in the video below. 

The master set cards in the Check My Game Event are 85 overall Brent Burns, Igor Shesterkin, Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, and Matthew Tkachuk. These cards can be built by trading in any three 82-84 CMG cards and any two additional 82-84 cards. 

The base CMG cards are led by 84 overall Will Cuylle and Jonathan Toews in his return to HUT.

There are Check My Game moments, objectives, and Wildcard XP tiers players can use to acquire players and collectibles. The collectibles can be used to build an 84, 82, or 80 overall player. 

The three new Icons are 86 overall Joe Sakic, Dominik Hasek, and Paul Coffey. The three new Heroes are Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Doug Gilmour, and Dan Boyle. 

You must trade in three 83-85 alumni for an Icon. The Heroes cost three 81-83 alumni.

The three new Rookie cards are 84 overall Jordan Binnington, Quinn Hughes, and Sidney Crosby. Players who completed the Jump Start Objectives in NHL 25 will receive a free 82 overall Calder Cup card in the HUT store. This card can be traded-in along with any two 81+ cards to earn a Rookie choice pack. The rookies can also be built for any five 81-83 cards.

There are also new Captains and XP cards. The XP path has reset and can be completed by earning 740,000 XP. Completing tier 60 will earn players and 87 overall Macklin Celebrini. 

There are also 85 overall cards available for moving up ranks in ranked play. 

The HUT content in NHL 25 was often lackluster but we are off to a fantastic start in NHL 26. This is one of the best release days in HUT history and has a little something for everyone. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.      

The Standard Edition of EA SPORTS NHL 26 is available now for those with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Big changes were made to Be A Pro and Hockey Ultimate Team, along with several gameplay innovations.

Gameplay wise the L2/LT glitch, hip check, and reverse hitting have had their power reduced and can no longer be exploited.

The number of X-Factors have been drastically reduced and it is now easier to see when an ability is active. 

Over 80 new goalie animations have been added along with new player reactions. 

ICE-Q 2.0 looks to incorporate real-life tendencies into the game using NHL EDGE data. 

Changes to Be A Pro include the introduction of the World Junior Championship, the ability to be sent down to the AHL, new cutscenes , cinematics, and voice acting, and more impactful conversations. 

Changes to HUT include the introduction of a new ranked ladder system, offline Cup Chase, new UI, more content and more rewards. 

#NHL26 IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE.
REPOST + COMMENT #NHL26 FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY. pic.twitter.com/V5X4cmfJpt

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 12, 2025

Those looking to try the game before purchasing can buy one month of EA Play and get a 10 hour trial of NHL 26. 

A complete NHL 26 review is coming from The Hockey News in the coming days. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS NHL 26 is officially live now for those who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of the game.

On top of the seven-day early access who who pre-ordered get a head start and receive multiple bonuses in Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel. 

These bonuses for Deluxe Edition include: an 83 overall HUT choice pack, 4600 NHL Points, a HUT NHL Player Pack, a HUT Icon Choice Pack (1 of 6, 85-86 overall), HUT Heroes Choice Pack (1 of 6, 83-84 overall), a World of Chel Vanity Set, and two World of Chel Battle Pass XP Boosts.

Those who are looking to try the game before purchasing can sign-up for one month of EA Play which will give them 10 hours of access. 

More on NHL 26 to come from The Hockey News this week. 

NHL 26's worldwide release is set for Sept. 12. It can be purchased here.

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS NHL has revealed the soundtrack for NHL 26. 

The soundtrack contains 36 songs for bands across multiple genres. This is six songs less than NHL 25.

Notable artists who will be in NHL 26 include Disturbed, Silverstein, New Found Glory, The Band Camino, PUP, and Spiritbox. 

Those looking to dive into the soundtrack can check out EA SPORTS' playlist on Spotify. 

Your Official #NHL26 Soundtrack 🎵

Listen now: https://t.co/WMyKCmfDVxpic.twitter.com/Cf1dFqPtJo

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 4, 2025

Per Videogame Soundtrack, Worm in the Sun by ALEXSUCKS and B.A.B.E. by Scowl also appear in EA's skate. game, and Perfect Soul by Spiritbox appears in Rocksmith+. 

The full list of the player overalls and their attributes in NHL 26 can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS NHL has provided fans the first in-depth look at NHL 26 gameplay in a question and answer video. 

The video re-iterates that the L2/LT glitch that was prominent in NHL 25 has been patched. There is now a speed cap and penalty on the mechanic, players will not be able to blow by opponents while shielding the puck. Players will also slow down when spamming the pivot override with their right stick. 

The hip checking mechanic has also been adjusted to stop it from being used as a forechecking option. The power of the hit will be influenced by how much the player has to turn. This should stop players from being able to utilize the hip check to cover large portions of ice. 

Reverse hitting has also received a nerf, factoring in the size and weight of the player more than NHL 25. 

EA notes they reduced the number of X-Factors in an attempt to eliminate less impactful ones and simplify when X-Factors will be activated. There is new UI that will show when an X-Factor is active. 

The gameplay shows clips of some of the 80+ new goalie animations and discusses NHL EDGE data. It will be interesting to see how this data is implemented throughout the cycle of the game and if it makes a noticeable impact. 

Check out some #NHL26 Gameplay!

And hear answers to some of the most asked GP questions from the Dev Team 👂

Tune in: https://t.co/y1cuRZgkcWpic.twitter.com/D2H29P3ZHx

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 3, 2025

It will be cool to see and a big step forward if AI Ovechkin naturally sits in his one-timer spot or if AI Draisaitl can snipe from the goal line. 

The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS NHL officially released their breakdown of what is new in NHL 26 Hockey Ultimate Team, we dove into the video below.

Like Franchise Mode in NHL 25 the HUT menu has received a UI overhaul that requires less clicks and scrolling. It will also feature the top player from your team on the home page. 

There will be new content releases five days a week in NHL 26 with a new program dubbed Chel Week that will include new objectives, cards, and a community vote. 

Rivals and Squad Battles have been removed from HUT and replaced with Ranked.

Ranked is a ladder system with divisions that will reset every season. Players can not be relegated once they reach a new division, this should help prevent the sandbagging that has been seen in HUT in previous games. 

Division tiers have their own rewards ladders, players must reach the Qualifications Division to qualify for HUT Champs. Those who reach Ultimate Rank will receive a unique jersey each season that shows they reached the top rank.

Team building has been revamped in NHL 26 with the introduction of combinations, this will give you an overall boost for having players from the same team or country. This will help players who love making theme teams.  

There will also be a salary cap that players must abide by. If the cap ultimately leads to players building unique teams and less meta cards it will be a win for HUT players. 

Every season there will be new Captains, Rookies, Heroes, and Icons. 

For offline HUT players there is a new Cup Chase mode, this consists of an 18 game schedule with two best-of-three playoff rounds. This mode has its own reward path but contributes to your overall XP Path. 

For early access players there is a Fresh ICE HUT Event with five master set players, Brock Faber, Morgan Rielly, Matthew Tkachuk, Tyler Seguin, and Logan Thompson. 

EA SPORTS NHL gave players an early look at 12 new Heroes and Icons. 

The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

World of Chel has received some improvements in NHL 26.

The most impactful change comes to loadouts with the goal of removing a meta build.

Boosts have been removed and have been replaced with three X-Factor slots. 

X-Factors are no longer only available in specific player classes. Any player can now use any ability, allowing players to use different skills with different positions.  

There has been an adjust to Ability Points (AP), it ca now be increased to +10 and decreased to -10, each loadout has an AP budget.

Your player class will impact which attributes you can increase the most, a sniper will be able to increase their shot power more than a playmaker. 

As discussed previously there are 28 X-Factors in NHL 26 with five categories and three tiers. This allows you to build around your favorite trait or add lots of extra skills. 

The Battle Pass is now free for all users and time sensitive objectives have now been added to increase rewards. 

All special characters from NHL 25 have been updated. New characters will be added each season.

Players will now be able to transfer all of their EASHL Club information from NHL 25 to NHL 26 including name, identity, grudge match records, identity, and club details.

There is a limited window to transfer your club so do it ASAP. 

EA SPORTS NHL's WoC notes can be seen here. 

The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS has announced the top 10 overall players in NHL 26. 

Connor McDavid sits a top the list at 97 overall followed by Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and Nikita Kucherov at 96 overall. 

Two defensemen and one goaltender crack the top 10. 

The 10 highest rated players in NHL 26 are:

1. Connor McDavid - 97 overall
2. Nathan MacKinnon - 96 overall
3. Leon Draisaitl - 96 overall
4. Nikita Kucherov - 96 overall
5. Quinn Hughes - 95 overall
6. Cale Makar - 95 overall
7. Aleksander Barkov - 95 overall
8. Sidney Crosby - 94 overall
9. David Pastrnak - 94 overall
10. Connor Hellebuyck - 94 overall

Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Kirill Kaprizov are all also 94 overall. 

The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.    

EA SPORTS NHL has revealed the top 10 left wingers in NHL 26, led by Kirill Kaprizov at 94 overall. 

NHL 26 cover star Matthew Tkachuk comes in as the second highest rated left winger at 93 overall, with Artemi Panarin and Kyle Connor narrowly behind at 92 overall. 

The top 10 left wingers in NHL 26 are:

1. Kirill Kaprizov - 94 overall
2. Matthew Tkachuk - 93 overall
3. Artemi Panarin - 92 overall
4. Kyle Connor - 92 overall
5. Jesper Bratt - 91 overall
6. Alex Ovechkin - 90 overall
7. Brandon Hagel - 90 overall
8. Matthew Boldy - 89 overall
9. Brad Marchand - 89 overall
10. Jake Guentzel - 89 overall

Kaprizov's 96 offensive awareness and 94 puck control contribute to his high rating he has Quick Release and Wheels X-Factors. Tkachuk also has 96 offensive awareness to go along with the Big Tipper, Born Leader, and Spark Plug X-Factors.

Ovechkin remains a deadly sniper with 95 overall slapshot power and 93 wrist shot. 

Keep an eye on the ratings database for an in-depth look at each players stats. 

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.  

EA SPORTS NHL has revealed the top 10 right defensemen in NHL 26.

NHL 24 cover star Cale Makar tops this list at 95 overall, five rating points higher than Adam Fox, the next closest right handed defender. 

Makar is the tied with Quinn Hughes as the highest overall defensemen and comes in as the sixth-highest rated player in NHL 26. 

The top 10 right defensemen are:

1. Cale Makar - 95 overall
2. Adam Fox - 90 overall
3. Charlie McAvoy - 89 overall
4. Evan Bouchard - 88 overall
5. Colton Parayko - 88 overall
6. Moritz Seider - 88 overall
7. Dougie Hamilton - 88 overall
8. John Carlson - 88 overall
9. Noah Dobson - 88 overall
10. Drew Doughty - 88 overall

Makar also tops this list with 95 acceleration, 94 speed, 95 deking, and 95 passing.

Seven of the 10 defenders on this list come in at 88 overall, showing the disparity between the depth of high end left and right defensemen. 

Other highlights include, Evan Bouchard  with 95 slapshot power and 93 passing, Noah Dobson with 92 acceleration, John Carlson with 93 wrist and slapshot power, and Moritz Seider with 92 body checking. 

Each of these 10 players will come with an X-Factor.

The full list of the 20 highest rated defensemen in NHL 26 and their attributes can be seen here.   

NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.