I got NHL 25 as a Christmas gift after probably my longest stretch without an update. My last game was 2020, and yes I'm a geezer who played 94.
I thought going 5 years between games would result in a lot of updates. Game play seems pretty similar. It's clear that EA is focused on HUT and that money making beast. I'm mainly an offline player so I'm going to resist spending more on the game and stick to that.
What I am happy with, is the customization added to franchise mode. (Looks like that may have been added in a couple of years ago.)
Love that custom leagues can be created including picking how many games per season. I opted to create a 48 team mega league with 4 divisions x 12 teams, with just 22 GP all inter-div. US West (Sorry Utah you were cut), US East, Europe and finally Canada being filled in with custom created teams. Top 8 teams per div make the playoffs, rounds 1, 2, 3 are 2 Game Aggregate, then best of 3 Semi and Cup Finals.
I've simmed seasons and then played playoffs. What is frustrating about game play is that it feels almost like a rugby match with constant turnovers but either the checked player or his teammate still picking up the puck after briefly losing possession. Pokecheck is better than a full body check, but then creates the risk of a tripping penalty.
Also I've noticed almost no difference in difficultly between Pro and the level below. Feels like it's a matter of finetuning sliders.