To this day, there are league games that continue within a gaming community. The biggest reason this game was such a success was because of the PC version of the game. This game had some glitches on breakaways, it had some random goaltender fights and a difficult trade system, but it was better than previous versions of the game.

The game also featured the inclusion of a Stanley Cup victory celebration in which players skated around with the Stanley Cup hoisted over their head. For example, the franchise mode was renamed dynasty mode, and it gave the player more chances for an authentic gaming experience. The overall presentation of the game included a better checking system, more puck control and advanced game modes. This game was groundbreaking in so many different ways. NHL 2004 was a huge turning point in the EA NHL franchise. When you consider all the improvements and the realism added to the game, NHL '08 is one of the best EA games of all time. In addition, Sweden's Elitserien and Finland's SM-liiga leagues are included and playable in exhibition modes. In dynasty mode, each player can control their NHL team and the AHL farm system by making call-ups and demotions with ease. In terms of accuracy and realism, all 29 AHL teams are included and they can be controlled by the user. There also was the inclusion of a 'goalie mode' in which a player could control the goaltender through a special third-person camera. This development made the game more realistic because anything could happen, as opposed to computer-generated animations in previous games. A player could engage a defender one-on-one and push the puck past the defender and then skate around the defender to pick up the prone puck. The Skill Stick allowed players to have more control with the puck when it came to dekes. The EA team continued making significant developments with the Slick Stick Revolution, which was renamed the Skill Stick in this game. NHL '08 is another next-gen game that changed the landscape of the series.

Nhl 04 pc settings