A new update toNHL 25has expanded the game’s roster to include the Professional Women’s Hockey League. This collaboration betweenNHL 25and the PWHL is big news for the young association, in addition to being a step forward for women’s representation in the series.
The PWHL is a fairly new association, founded only last year. Growing out of an effort to establish more stable and more lucrative careers for women in hockey, the PWHL has more operational support and collective member power than its predecessor organizations. The inclusion of the PWHLin EA Sports’NHL 25has been important for promoting the young league, and Game Rant was able to talk to hockey star (and captain of PWHL team Montreal Victoire) Marie-Philip Poulin about some specifics.
Explaining The PWHL’s New Collaboration With NHL 25
Playing The PWHL
As of the December 5 update thatexpandedNHL 25with this new material, the six teams that make up the PWHL (Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Toronto Sceptres, Minnesota Frost, New York Sirens, and Ottawa Charge) can be played throughout a variety of modes. Poulin described parts of the process that brought each player to life in-game.
“The scanning was part of it—but there’s a lot that goes into it, and I know that our people who took care of this really made sure that everything was appropriate to each player. There’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s really trusting and believing that we are in the game now that the PWHL is part of it. Honestly, just having our names and our faces and that you can pick one of us to play on your team.”
In addition to scanning, the PWHL roster has also been rendered using one of the aspects thattheNHLseries has moved on to. New SAPIEN skeleton technology, which has seen player skeletons rebuilt from the ground up, makes sure that player data is animated fluidly once mapped out. The technology not only improves new animations built with it but has upgraded old animations.
Fans will be able to take on the role of PWHL players in Play Now, Online Versus, Shootout, and Season modes. This integration of the PWHL across these modes is something of a big step fortheNHLseries, too, with the women’s game only being recognized by the series inNHL 22. As someone featured in that game, Poulin was able to talk about howNHL 25has deepened her own relationship with the series.
“Having us in theNHL 25says a lot about what they believe in. We’ve talked a lot about women’s sports, and having that support, but this is exactly what EA Sports andNHL 25is all about—it’s supporting and believing in what we have. Like you mentioned, since 2021 the IIHF, we got in there.
But now having a professional league, and knowing that we’re part ofNHL 25—that this is our league as a women’s professional hockey league—I think it just shows that it’s representation. That it does matter, and that we are in that game for a reason. I think that’s a testament to what EA Sports is all about and how special it is to be part ofNHL 25.”
Thislatest milestone in theNHLseriesis not limited to just player inclusion. PWHL uniforms, representing the six teams, are now available in World of Chel.
