Be A Pro & Franchise Mode Deep Dive

Welcome to our deep dive into Be A Pro and Franchise Mode. Feel free to also check out our YouTube video which also covers everything you need to know for both modes!

ROSTER SHARING is coming to NHL 22! This highly requested community feature has been something we’ve been wanting to add for a while now and we’re happy to say it’ll finally make its way to the series in NHL 22 as part of our Early December patch. 

For those who aren’t exactly sure what Roster Sharing is let us give you a quick overview.

Roster sharing allows you to download other players’ rosters that they’ve uploaded throughout the year! So if someone creates a large number of new players or changes a bunch of overalls you’ll be able to download that file and import it to use in your franchise mode.

We understand that there is a very dedicated group of roster creators out who will think of creative ways to utilize this and the great thing is that they’ll be able to start creating rosters immediately and then have the opportunity to instantly upload it once the December patch goes live! So there will be tons of new rosters you will be able to download on the first day of the patch!

We will be highlighting some of the most dedicated roster editors as we approach the patch in December so you can have a good idea of what kind of creations will be available once roster sharing is implemented. Stay tuned to our social channels for more info on that!

Moving to Be A Pro, X-Factors make a big impact on your career and add new multi-season progression that expands over your initial rookie season.

The player type you select at the start of your career now has a larger impact on how you’ll play on the ice as it will serve as a shortcut to unlocking your first X-Factor, which differs for each player type so choose carefully!

For NHL 22, we wanted to make sure that players who play 5, 10, or more seasons earn their rightful glory and that starts with the new X-Factor storylines. Each storyline unlocks a specific X-Factor, some storylines span multiple seasons and some require multiple challenges to be completed.

For example, the storyline for the “Born Leader” X-Factor will unlock after you reach the playoffs as Team Captain. Not only do you have to reach the playoffs to unlock the initial storyline but from there you will need to complete the challenges once that story is unlocked to progress to unlocking the X-Factor.

The progress for storylines you’ve unlocked can be viewed in the Abilities Progress screen. Here you can see the details of the challenges you need to complete to unlock the X-Factor you desire. You’ll be able to apply 1 zone and 5 superstar abilities at once so the chase for these X-Factors will be more crucial than ever throughout your career. You’ll unlock extra slots passively over time, by completing storylines or buying them via salary perks.

In terms of the conversation system, we’ve expanded the number of conversations you’ll see as well as the interactions inside of them. Anytime you dive into a storyline that will trigger through the conversation system. You may run into interesting scenarios where you are presented with a decision between two storylines. The revamped conversation screen will show you both rewards so you’ll be able to make a choice based on which X-Factor you are specifically after.

With the Seattle Kraken officially beginning their first NHL season you’ll be able to relive the expansion draft experience in NHL 22. Based on the official protection lists you can rewrite history and build the Kraken however you want.

Want to see how Carey Price and Tarasenko would look in Seattle? You’ll have the opportunity to draft and build your dream Kraken roster.

You can also take part in the expansion draft as your favorite team and fill out an authentic protection list for the Kraken to select from.

The option to create the 33rd NHL franchise through the expansion draft is also available with custom options around excluding or including the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.

Drafting a player with X-Factor abilities is more important than ever with their addition to Franchise Mode. Prospects throughout the Draft can have a Zone ability and up to 5 Superstar abilities.

Scouts will be able to identify which players have these abilities using their new X-Factor scouting attribute, so you’ll want to make sure you hire top-notch scouts who grade highly if you want to find the most X-Factor players.

X-Factors also introduce new strategies when it comes to Line Chemistry. Constructing a line with players who have complimentary X-Factors can earn up to a +5 boost or even overcome a coach’s poor line fit. Position, Playstyle, and Scheme Fit will still play an important role as you’re still able to have positive chemistry lines without any abilities. 

Players playing together with complimenting offensive X-Factors like “One Tee” and “Big Tipper” will improve your Line Chemistry at 5-on-5 and the powerplay, but they won’t give you the same positive effect on the penalty kill.

Players playing together with complimenting defensive X-Factors like “Ice Pack” and “Bouncer” will work well together at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill, but unless these players also have offensive X-Factor abilities, they won’t bring the same positive effect to Line Chemistry on the powerplay.

Hopefully, you find this adds a fun new dynamic to building your team to its max potential and puzzles to discover throughout the year.