NHL 27 adds online leagues with Connected Franchise

EA SPORTS NHL 27 is now available worldwide on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and its new Connected Franchise mode lets players run online leagues with up to 32 human-controlled teams.

As detailed in EA's NHL 27 FAQ, commissioners can create leagues, invite players directly or share League IDs, approve join requests, and set rules and schedules. They can also review trades and free-agent claims, adjust rosters and gameplay sliders, override results, and send announcements to the league.

General managers can negotiate trades involving up to five players, list up to five players on the Trade Block, and place free-agent bids. The mode also keeps season history, standings, team statistics, head-to-head results, and game box scores.

Online play requires an EA Account, although it is not needed to buy the game or play offline modes. NHL 27 also supports cross-play between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in online modes, including Ultimate Team and World of Chel, with shared leaderboards and player cards through EA Connect.

Elsewhere, the game adds updated arena atmospheres across all 32 NHL arenas, real-world goal songs, and a refreshed broadcast package featuring John Buccigross and Darren Pang.