A sizable badge on the box for NHL 14 proclaims the series has been named 'Sports Game of the Year' by over twenty-six outlets throughout the life of the franchise, yet EA's hockey series rarely gets the same attention from its publisher as Madden and FIFA. Despite its critical success and commercial adoration from lifelong fans, the NHL franchise rarely gets promotion from EA Sports, as evidenced by its absence in the upcoming Xbox One and PS4 launches and EA's own industry press conferences.

Huddled in its own corner as the least-promoted sports series under EA's arm, the NHL franchise has made marked improvements to its mechanics year over year. This year, NHL 14's collision system sees a massive upgrade, borrowing tech from EA's top-tier FIFA franchise. But NHL 14 shows its age with presentation packages and commentary so old and recycled that they give the impression developer EA Canada is either unwilling or unable to make changes to the more costly elements of NHL's development.