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Everything to know about NHL ’94 Rewind

By Ryan Homler

Everything to know about NHL ’94 Rewind originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Recently, the gaming and NHL community got exciting news when it was announced that the cult-classic video game NHL ’94 was making a return with some modern updates, known as NHL ’94 Rewind. 

EA Sports has revived a game that many, including the likes of Alex Ovechkin, enjoyed while growing up and it is set to be released on October 30. Despite its retro graphics and gameplay compared to the realistic hockey video games EA has produced in recent years, the video game has only grown in popularity since its release.

To this day, it’s still a game that many enjoy playing and NHL ’94 is a hot topic on the message boards and in video game conversations throughout the country. So, it seemed like a perfect time to bring the game back for those who experienced it in the past and the new generation of gamers.

“NHL ’94 is always the one that starts off the conversation of which were the best years,” Andy Agostini, senior producer at EA Sports, told ESPN. “We wanted to bring it back and bring a different experience to people who maybe never have had that. I work with a bunch of guys on the team that are much younger than me, and when you mentioned something like NHL ’94, they never played with the Genesis or Super Nintendo.”

NHL ’94 Rewind will have the same structure as the first installment, but with some new aspects to give the game a slightly modern touch. Here are some things to know about the game, courtesy of ESPN and EA Sports:

No one will be rated in the 30s

Yes, back in NHL ’94 some players would be slapped with a rating as low as the 30s. That feels like a major shock given how the lowliest of players in the modern float around the 60s. Current NHL players do not have to sweat though, as their ratings will be a lot higher than the original version as EA implements its pyramid rating system and the skill level in hockey continues to rise.

“As the years have gone by, the talent level in the NHL is higher, so you’re not going to see the type of players that were in ’94 that were the 30s anymore in the league, because they just don’t exist,” Agostini said. “I hate to point him out, but guys like Stu Grimson, who was an enforcer, a fighter, those guys don’t exist in the NHL nowadays. So the bottom end has gone up a few overall because of that.”

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The ratings won’t be the same as NHL ’21

Despite the increase in rating in NHL ’94 Rewind, they won’t match EA Sports’ newest simulation hockey game. That means Alex Ovechkin won’t tally the same 93 rating that he carries in the game in which he graces the cover.

No updates to the rosters

Here’s where EA kept part of the authentic feel of the game. Players and teams were updated to reflect the 2019-20 season, but that’s where it stops. There will be no in-game roster updates or rating adjustments. Like in 1994, you get what you get when the game begins and nothing is going to change.

So, while players have moved around this offseason, they won’t be on their new teams in NHL ’94 Rewind.

No multiplayer

The multiplayer aspect of video games have become huge over the years, as you can play with and against others all around the world no matter where you are. Being that this is meant to keep the same “true couch experience,” players will have to call up their friends and face off next to one another. 

The one drawback to Caps rookie goalie Vitek Vanecek’s strong play

By J.J. Regan
The one drawback to Vitek Vanecek's strong play originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonOne of the early surprises of the 2021 season has been the play of goalie Vitek Vanecek. Vanecek likely would not even be playing If Henrik Lundqvist did not have a heart condition. Instead, the rookie netminder is 3-0-2 in five starts with a .918 save percentage and 2.70 GAA. With points in his first five games, he is only two games away from tying Jim Carey's franchise record for the longest point streak by a rookie to start his career.Vanecek's play has been great news for the Capitals considering goaltending was a question mark heading into the season. The fact that Ilya Samsonov has missed three games while on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol-related absence list and the team has not missed a beat is an encouraging sign for the depth at the goaltending position.All of this is good news for Washington...except in one respect.The Seattle expansion draft will take place during the 2021 offseason. Every team will be allowed to protect one goalie and it was assumed that goalie for the Caps would be Samsonov. But has Vanecek played his way into the discussion?A young goalie tandem of two dependable goalies is great. One of the most important positions in hockey is covered by two inexpensive players who are continuing to develop and should get better over the next few seasons. Normally, a team would just let them play it out for the next few years before either signing one as the No. 1 and potentially trading the other for value or even trying to convince both goalies to stay as a dynamic duo. This, however, is not a normal year and the threat of losing one of the young netminders will loom over the season, especially if both players are able to play at a high level.Granted, it is not guaranteed that Seattle would take either Samsonov or Vanecek. It was assumed by many, that Philipp Grubauer would be taken by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft and the Golden Knights instead went with Nate Schmidt. There are also things general manager Brian MacLellan can do to coerce Seattle to look at another player such as offering a trade if Seattle agrees to not select someone. After seeing how Vegas was able to rob teams for draft picks just to end up with better players anyway, general managers are going to be reluctant to do that this time around. And just because MacLellan may offer a trade does not mean Seattle will have to take it. If the Kraken have their sights set on whichever netminder the Caps leave exposed, there's nothing really MacLellan can do to stop them from taking him.Download and subscribe to the Capitals Talk podcastThe bottom line is Washington is going to have to enter the offseason at least prepared to lose one of its goalies.When it was believed Vanecek was, at best, an NHL backup, that wasn't an issue. But what if he's better than that?It's still very early in the season. Vanecek may regress or Samsonov could elevate his play when he returns to such a level that it becomes no contest. But if the expansion draft were to happen tomorrow, this would not be an easy decision.Vanecek's play has been a huge positive for Washington thus far into the early season, but if he continues at this level it is going to put the team in a difficult position in the offseason. Having to choose between two starting-caliber goalies is a good problem to have, but it is a problem nonetheless.
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