NHL 06

| genre = Sports - Ice Hockey Sim | modes = Single-player, multiplayer, multiplayer online | ratings = | platforms = GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC | media = DVD | input = Game controller, Keyboard }}

NHL 06 was released in September 2005 with a North America-wide TV campaign proclaiming, "Hockey's Back!" The game features a slight graphics improvement and the return of the Create-A-Player feature, which was notably absent from NHL 2005. The complete redesign of this feature was based on EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 and subsequent installments, allowing for much more complex changes in a player's appearance than simply eye or hair color.

Features

Team features

The game also includes HC Davos from Switzerland to go along with the European elite leagues. Due to the lack of the IIHF license, the game does not include real team jerseys for national teams or the World Cup of Hockey. Instead, the World Cup of Hockey is now known as the "EA Sports World Tournament". This also means that the national team jerseys were modified by substituting the team logos with flags and randomizing jersey designs. However, there are 2 backgrounds in the menus showing a bench with Canada in their real jerseys and a goaltender in the real Finland jersey, even though the USA logo is still visible on the USA helmets.

Addition of NHL '94

The developers of the game placed a surprise in the PlayStation 2 version; playing NHL 94 is an option, and it appears the same as it did when it was originally released, including the appearance of the since-relocated Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques.. The Hartford Whalers, however, were not included, and in their place were the "Hartford Canes". The city of Hartford owns the rights to the Whalers' name, logo and jersey, and did not allow their use in the game. Also all players names were changed to fictional player names.

Information

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier is featured on the cover in North America, and in Nordic countries Chicago Blackhawks Finnish forward Tuomo Ruutu.

Tagline: "The rush is back"
Covers: Vincent Lecavalier (main)

*Tuomo Ruutu (Finland)

Reception

NHL 06 came under heavy criticism for once again featuring too many "scoring fests". This time as a result of the defensive AI in the game being very passive and the goalie AI poor.