NHL 17 is a great game- it’s extremely full featured, and it plays really well, too. For hockey fans, the game is a love letter. For people who don’t like hockey, or who don’t like sports games period, there is still so much on offer here, and such varied styles of play, that you’re still probably going to end up finding something up your alley here.
Of course, there’s simply so much going on in he game, that if you do decide to pick it up, you might find yourself overwhelmed- the good news is, that’s where we come in. We’ve got your back. With this guide for NHL 17, we’re going to walk you through everything in the game, from the Hockey Ultimate Team mode, to figuring out the top rated players in the game, to making coins, to general tips and tricks, to some of the Achievements and Trophies. Buckle up.
NHL 17 – Hockey Ultimate Team Guide:
Hockey Ultimate Team is the most popular mode in the NHL series, and for good reason- the mode emphasizes proper team building, assembling a roster of players to build the, you guessed it, ultimate team that can lead you to the top.
Building A Lineup:
Of course, Ultimate Team can be a bit confusing to get a hang on- how do you build a lineup? What are all these cards? What’s the difference between the different kind of cards? The video below walks you through the basics of Ultimate Team, and essentially explains how to start out in the mode, and begin the process of assembling together the perfect roster.
Synergy:
One of the big changes that EA Sports have made to Ultimate Team this year is replacing the Chemistry feature with Synergy. Synergy differs from the older Chemistry mechanic, because it is always additive- so you can never lose out because of Synergies, only gain from them. Synergy is a simple mechanic that involves matching players on the team such that certain synergies, based on your play style, are maximized. If utilized correctly, the bonuses you get can be immense. Synergy is, in other words, a crucial mechanic if you want to master Ultimate Team. The video below explains how to go about it.
Draft Champions:
Draft Champions exists as a sort of gateway to Ultimate Team- the mode is essentially an introduction to Ultimate Team, how it works, and what it means, and players who go through it can then carry over bonuses into Ultimate Team mode. Draft Champions is far easier to understand than Ultimate Team is- al you do is pick a roster, and play a few games. Nonetheless, if you need a primer on what it is, the video below is going to help.
Top Rated Players:
Like all EA Sports games, NHL 17 makes it easy to track which player is overall better than the others, thanks to player ratings, an overall score assigned to a player based on multiple factors. The video below acts as a general introduction to player ratings, going through the ratings for each player in the game, while the sections below then go on to list the top 10 players in each category.
Top Defensemen
Defensemen are ranked on six factors: Puck Skills, Senses, Shooting, Defense, Skating, and Physicality. These six factors have been used to come up with a list of the top 10 defensemen in NHL 17. You can find the list below:
- Drew Doughty: 94
- Shea Weber: 94
- Duncan Keith: 93
- Ryan Suter: 93
- Erik Karlsson: 92
- Brent Burns: 92
- Victor Hedman: 92
- Marc-Edouard Vlasic: 91
- P.K. Subban: 91
- Dustin Byfuglien: 91
Top Goalies
The Top 10 Goalies were picked based on their overall rating, which was assigned on the basis of their Reflexes, Puck Control, and Athletic ability.
- Carey Price: 93
- Jonathan Quick: 93
- Braden Holtby: 92
- Henrik Lundqvist: 92
- Cory Schneider: 91
- Pekka Rinne: 91
- Cory Crawford: 90
- Marc-Andre Fleury: 90
- Tuukka Rask: 89
- Ben Bishop: 89
Top Right Wingers:
The top 10 right wingers in NHL 17 were selected on the basis of an overall rating assigned for six skills: Puck Skills, Senses, Shooting, Defense, Skating, and Physicality.
- Patrick Kane: 94
- Vladimir Tarasenko: 93
- Joe Pavelski: 91
- Corey Perry: 91
- Jakub Voracek: 90
- Phil Kessel: 89
- Blake Wheeler: 89
- Marian Hossa: 88
- Nikita Kucherov: 88
- James Neal: 88
Miscellaneous Tips And Tricks:
Once you’ve got a hang on Ultimate Team, and all that it has to offer, you’re probably going to want to get a handle on some basic moment to moment gameplay next. NHL can be a hard game to get a handle on, because its controls are complex, and because it actually is a very accurate simulation of hockey- you need to have at least a basic understanding of the sport before you can truly understand the flow of the video game.
Happily, that’s where these general tips and tricks can help out.
Playing As A Goalie:
If you’re going to be playing the goalie at any point in NHL, you need to understand that you are, very literally, the last line of defense between your team, and the enemy team scoring. So you need to know what you’re doing, and you need to be able to do it well. The video below walks you through some basic tips that you need to internalize for when you play the goalie in NHL.
How To Score Goals:
Of course, defending goals is all well and good, but the true excitement of hockey comes from scoring goals. What’s that? You want to know how to do just that in NHL? Well lucky you, the video below walks us through doing just that.
Coin Making Guide:
You know what you can never have enough of? Coins. Coins are the currency of Hockey Ultimate Team, meaning that you’re going to need a lot of them to get anything done- of course, you could always purchase coins with real world money, but why in the world would you do that? Instead, just watch the video below, which will walk you through earning a lot more coins in game without having to spend a dime (American or Canadian).
Achievements and Trophy Guide:
Someone Get That Kid The Puck!
Play and score your 1st NHL goal in a regular season game in Be a Pro.
Elite
Grow your Be A Pro Character to 90+ Overall in Be a Pro.
That’s Number 50!
Play and score your 50th NHL goal in a single season as a rookie in Be a Pro.
Lifting the cup
Win the Stanley Cup® in Be A Pro mode.
Goose Egg
Play an entire game and have your 1st shutout in a NHL regular season game in Be a Pro.
Straight A’s
Get straight A’s for coaching feedback in a game in Be a Pro.
Promoted
Get your Be A Pro Player promoted to the 1st line in the NHL in Be a Pro.
Drafted
Have your Be a Pro player drafted in Be a Pro mode while playing an entire season in the CHL.
Champions of the World
Play in and win the World Cup of Hockey.
Master Negotiator
Sign a 1st line Forward, a Top 2 Defenseman or an Elite Goalie during Free Agency in Franchise Mode.
Superstar
Make a trade to acquire a player with full Trade Value in Franchise Mode.
Hello Mr. President
Win the Presidents’ trophy in Franchise Mode.
Bring Home the Cup
Win the Stanley Cup in your first year after relocation in Franchise Mode.
Skipping Town as Champions
Win the Stanley Cup in the season prior to relocation in Franchise Mode.
Bobble Head Star
Score the hat trick goal with a player on their Bobble Head night in Franchise Mode.
Developer
Have a player that you drafted grow to 90+ overall in Franchise Mode.
Maximum Promos!
Have max in all stadium upgrades and promo nights in a single season in Franchise Mode.
League Champions
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won the League Title and return to the Seasons HUB
Conference Champions
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a Division Title and return to the Seasons HUB.
On A Roll
Be a member of an EASHL club that had a perfect record last season and return to the Seasons HUB.
Victorious
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a playoff cup and return to the Seasons HUB.
Promotions For All
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently been promoted and return to the Seasons HUB.
Overtime Heroics
In an EASHL club game, score the game-winning overtime goal.
You’ll Always Remember Your First
In an EASHL game, score your first goal as a skater or complete and win your first game as a goalie.
Veteran Club Members
Be a member of an EASHL club that has reached Level 25.
How Prestigious
Level up your EASHL pro past Player Level 50.
Suit up
Win a game as a user-controlled goalie in any mode.
Hat trick hero
Score 3 goals with one player while player or position locked.
Dish Master
Record 4 assists with one player while player or position locked.
Not My Bottle!
Knock off the opposing goalie’s bottle from the net by scoring a goal.
Manual Sauce
Get an assist from a manual saucer pass in any mode.
Tee it up
Score a goal with a manual one timer in any mode.
Own the crease
Have a shutout and win a game as a user-controlled goalie in any mode.
This is my house
Manually execute a big shove in a net battle on a player when locked as a defender.
Great Escape
Successfully spin out of a net battle.
Just in Time!
Tie up a player with a net battle while a pass is already on its way to that player.
Complete Set
Complete a Hockey Ultimate Team Set for the first time.
Long Term Goals
Complete a Hockey Ultimate Team Master Set.
Season Veteran
Earn a promotion in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season.
Season Champion
Win the title in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season.
Undefeated
Win every game in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season.
Getting Crafty
Complete 50 Hockey Ultimate Team Sets.
Good Timing
Complete a limited time Hockey Ultimate Team Set.
Wheelin’ And Dealin’
Buy and/or sell 150 items in the Hockey Ultimate Team Auction House.
Upgrade
Activate a Synergy Style in Hockey Ultimate Team.
Fully Operational
Have every player on your active Hockey Ultimate Team Lineup have an active Synergy Style. (2)
With the First Overall Selection
Complete a Draft Champions Draft.
Draft Superstar
Win every game in a Draft Champions Draft.
Solid Selection
Draft a special player item in a Draft Champions Draft.
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