The off-season can be long if you’re used to watching hockey every week. But once the games wrap up, fans often find other ways to stay connected to sports. Others catch up on NHL news or rewatch old matches. Others open the game temporarily.
Hockey games have been part of the fan experience for years, and there are several ways to play them now. There are management sims, arcade-style titles, and a few slot games built around hockey themes. If you’re looking for something hockey-related to pass the time until the next puck drops, a mix of these games might do the trick.
Break Away Deluxe
Break Away Deluxe expands on Microgaming’s original site with a bigger plot and more paylines. The reels run on a 5×5 grid and include 88 paylines, so there’s a lot going on when the spins start.
The visuals stick to the hockey theme. Players, referees and ice rinks appear as symbols, and the game includes several levers that keep the reels moving. Rolling Reels remove winning symbols and replace them with new ones, which can create additional wins on the same spin. There is also a feature where the hockey player symbols randomly change into wild animals.
Hockey hero
Hockey Hero, developed by Push Gaming, uses a 5×4 grid and focuses on a few core mechanics rather than filling the screen with a lot of extras.
Wild symbols appear stacked on the reels and free spins can be triggered during play. The most interesting feature is the Power Play mini-game. If the puck mark remains, the game switches to a shootout where the player tries to beat the goalie. Each successful shot adds rewards or multipliers to the score. A short feature, but it breaks the usual spin. For a long time now, this themed online slot game has been an all-time favorite with hockey fans who enjoy a slot that is completely focused on the sport.
Jagr’s Super Slot
Few hockey-themed slots pay tribute to the game like Jagr’s Super Slot, inspired by Czech legend Jaromir Jagr, who also serves as a wild symbol.
The game offers 4,069 ways to win and plenty of hockey symbols including helmets, skates, medals, and Jagr’s famous number 68. Scatter symbols trigger the Super Slot Bonus, where players shoot each other to win multipliers, cash prizes, or free spins.
Metal Instruments
The Blades of Steel go back a long way, but still hold a place in the history of the game of hockey. The game was released in 1987 Nintendo and quickly built a following among hockey fans.
It didn’t use real teams or players, but that didn’t stop people from enjoying it. The game focused on fast-paced action and ice fighting. For many players, it felt different from other sports games available at the time. Many modern hockey games have moved on with graphics, but Blades of Steel helped lay the groundwork for what came later.
Eastside Hockey Manager
The manager of Eastside Hockey does not focus on controlling the players during games. Instead, the focus is on running the entire club or national team. Transfertactics, training and testing all become part of the job. It’s a slow experience compared to arcade hockey games, but some fans prefer that level of detail.
The game is considered one of the best hockey management systems available. For fans who enjoy the strategic side of the game, it can fill the time nicely during the off-season.
NHL Hitz
NHL Hitz has taken a very different approach to sports. Instead of going for the original, it went with arcade style gameplay. Matches were delivered quickly and the biggest hits were a big part of the experience. The more physical the game, the more rewards players can earn. Some features even allowed players to grow their characters.
It wasn’t the most accurate hockey simulation, but that wasn’t really the point. The speed and action made it memorable for many fans who grew up playing it.
The Puck
Puck is a physics-based hockey game that focuses on control. Players move, pass and shoot without scripted mechanics. As a result, ratings can feel unpredictable. A timely pass or a small mistake can change the outcome quickly.
It was built with multiplayer gameplay in mind. Friends can put together matches or compete against other players online. That’s usually when the game gets the most fun.
Final thoughts
Hockey fans have always found ways to stay connected to the sport between seasons. Gaming turns out to be one of the easiest options. Some fans prefer to manage teams and build strategies. Others want something quick and unusual with a hockey theme. Either way, there are plenty of games that help keep the sport alive while waiting for the next season to start.
