About

<h2>Overview</h2><p>NHL 98 is EA's yearly NHL franchised hockey game for the 1997 season. For the first time, the series includes National Teams. Although the developers were unable to get the official Nagano Olympic license, they were able to have national teams with corresponding rosters. </p><p>EA also introduced for the first time in their NHL series 3Dfx Glide support which dramatically changed their graphics from previous years (although the SNES and Genesis versions of the game continued to look like the previous 2D games). The game was the last NHL game to be released on SNES and Genesis.</p><p>Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche is the game's cover athlete. Mario Lemiuex appears in the Saturn version of the game, although he had already retired at the end of the 1996-97 NHL Season.</p><p> </p><h2>Gameplay</h2><h3>Game Modes</h3><ul><li><b>Exhibition</b>: Single game, pick a team and one for the opponent and face against the computer or a friend.</li><li><b>Season</b>: Play all 82 games of the 1997-98 NHL season, trade players, sign free agents and go through the ups and down of a full season.</li><li><b>Practice</b>: Try situations like penalty kills, power plays, odd man rushes. Select how many players desired versus how many players the opposing teams have.</li><li><b>Skill Challenge</b>: Try some of the challenges that have been made popular with the NHL's All Star game, such as faster skater, accuracy shooting, skating around cones and 2 on 0 goalie scenarios.</li><li><b>Shoot Out</b>: One on One, goalie versus a skater on a breakaway.</li></ul><h3>Teams &amp; Rankings</h3><p> </p><p>In addition to the then 26 NHL Teams (before Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild), two All Star Teams and only 3 National Teams (United States, Canada, Europe).</p><p> </p><p>Here are the default NHL Team Rankings:</p><table><tbody><tr><th>Team</th><th>Even Strength</th><th>Power Play</th><th>Penalty Killing</th><th>Goaltending</th></tr><tr><td>Anahiem Mighty Ducks</td><td>9th</td><td>6th</td><td>22nd</td><td>11th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/boston-bruins/3015-4691/" data-ref-id="3015-4691"> Boston Bruins</a></td><td>26th</td><td>16th</td><td>21st</td><td>26th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/buffalo-sabres/3015-5076/" data-ref-id="3015-5076"> Buffalo Sabres</a></td><td>6th</td><td>26th</td><td>13th</td><td>6th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/calgary-flames/3015-5052/" data-ref-id="3015-5052"> Calgary Flames</a></td><td>21st</td><td>8th</td><td>17th</td><td>13th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/carolina-hurricanes/3015-5094/" data-ref-id="3015-5094"> Carolina Hurricanes</a></td><td>19th</td><td>4th</td><td>10th</td><td>19th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/chicago-blackhawks/3015-5089/" data-ref-id="3015-5089"> Chicago Blackhawks</a></td><td>14th</td><td>17th</td><td>11th</td><td>7th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/colorado-avalanche/3015-2322/" data-ref-id="3015-2322"> Colorado Avalanche</a></td><td>1st</td><td>3rd</td><td>2nd</td><td>5th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/dallas-stars/3015-5098/" data-ref-id="3015-5098"> Dallas Stars</a></td><td>2nd</td><td>19th</td><td>16th</td><td>3rd</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/detroit-red-wings/3015-2330/" data-ref-id="3015-2330"> Detroit Red Wings</a></td><td>5th</td><td>7th</td><td>4th</td><td>2nd</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/edmonton-oilers/3015-1865/" data-ref-id="3015-1865"> Edmonton Oilers</a></td><td>13th</td><td>6th</td><td>18th</td><td>16th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/florida-panthers/3015-4792/" data-ref-id="3015-4792"> Florida Panthers</a></td><td>7th</td><td>21st</td><td>7th</td><td>4th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/los-angeles-kings/3015-5099/" data-ref-id="3015-5099"> Los Angeles Kings</a></td><td>24th</td><td>25th</td><td>3rd</td><td>20th</td></tr><tr><td>Montreal Canadians</td><td>17th</td><td>13th</td><td>26th</td><td>23rd</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/new-jersey-devils/3015-4956/" data-ref-id="3015-4956"> New Jersey Devils</a></td><td>3rd</td><td>23rd</td><td>1st</td><td>1st</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/new-york-islanders/3015-5093/" data-ref-id="3015-5093"> New York Islanders</a></td><td>22nd</td><td>22nd</td><td>15th</td><td>18th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/new-york-rangers/3015-5078/" data-ref-id="3015-5078"> New York Rangers</a></td><td>8th</td><td>1st</td><td>25th</td><td>1th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/ottawa-senators/3015-5077/" data-ref-id="3015-5077"> Ottawa Senators</a></td><td>16th</td><td>11th</td><td>20th</td><td>12th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/philadelphia-flyers/3015-5092/" data-ref-id="3015-5092"> Philadelphia Flyers</a></td><td>4th</td><td>18th</td><td>6th</td><td>8th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/phoenix-coyotes/3015-4957/" data-ref-id="3015-4957"> Phoenix Coyotes</a></td><td>11th</td><td>5th</td><td>5th</td><td>15th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pittsburgh-penguins/3015-1417/" data-ref-id="3015-1417"> Pittsburgh Penguins</a></td><td>10th</td><td>2nd</td><td>23rd</td><td>25th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/san-jose-sharks/3015-5100/" data-ref-id="3015-5100"> San Jose Sharks</a></td><td>25th</td><td>20th</td><td>12th</td><td>24th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/st-louis-blues/3015-4935/" data-ref-id="3015-4935"> St. Louis Blues</a></td><td>12th</td><td>15th</td><td>14th</td><td>14th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/tampa-bay-lightning/3015-5031/" data-ref-id="3015-5031"> Tampa Bay Lightning</a></td><td>20th</td><td>24th</td><td>8th</td><td>17th</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/toronto-maple-leafs/3015-1881/" data-ref-id="3015-1881"> Toronto Maple Leafs</a></td><td>23rd</td><td>14th</td><td>19th</td><td>22nd</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/vancouver-canucks/3015-5027/" data-ref-id="3015-5027"> Vancouver Canucks</a></td><td>15th</td><td>10th</td><td>24th</td><td>21st</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/washington-capitals/3015-5030/" data-ref-id="3015-5030"> Washington Capitals</a></td><td>18th</td><td>12th</td><td>9th</td><td>9th</td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><h2>Players with 100 Rating</h2><p>There are several players in the game that are by default rated 100, they are:</p><table><tbody><tr><th>Name</th><th>Team</th><th>Position</th></tr><tr><td>Paul Kariya</td><td>Anahiem Mighty Ducks</td><td>Left Wing</td></tr><tr><td>Dominik Hasek</td><td><a href="/buffalo-sabres/3015-5076/" data-ref-id="3015-5076">Buffalo Sabres </a></td><td>Goaltender</td></tr><tr><td>Peter Forsberg</td><td><a href="/colorado-avalanche/3015-2322/" data-ref-id="3015-2322">Colorado Avalanche </a></td><td>Center</td></tr><tr><td>Sergei Fedorov</td><td><a href="/detroit-red-wings/3015-2330/" data-ref-id="3015-2330">Detroit Red Wings </a></td><td>Center</td></tr><tr><td>Rod Brind'Amour</td><td><a href="/philadelphia-flyers/3015-5092/" data-ref-id="3015-5092">Phildelphia Flyers</a></td><td>Left Wing</td></tr><tr><td>Eric Lindros</td><td><a href="/philadelphia-flyers/3015-5092/" data-ref-id="3015-5092">Philadelphia Flyers </a></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Jaromir Jagr</td><td><a href="/pittsburgh-penguins/3015-1417/" data-ref-id="3015-1417">Pittsburgh Penguins </a></td><td>Right Wing</td></tr><tr><td>Keith Tkachuk</td><td><a href="/phoenix-coyotes/3015-4957/" data-ref-id="3015-4957">Phoenix Coyotes </a></td><td>Left Wing</td></tr><tr><td>Paul Coffey</td><td><a href="/philadelphia-flyers/3015-5092/" data-ref-id="3015-5092">Philadelphia Flyers</a></td><td>Right Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Ray Bourque</td><td><a href="/boston-bruins/3015-4691/" data-ref-id="3015-4691">Boston Bruins </a></td><td>Left Defense</td></tr></tbody></table>