It’s 2025, which means it’s not just 32 years (and counting, for now, Edmonton) since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup, but also that we are already a quarter of the way through the 21st Century. With that comes a chance to look back on the past 25 years to reflect on some of the most dominant and fun players to ever lace it up in the EA NHL series. These elite players are the best of the best on the virtual sheet, and represent the apex of hockey gaming over the last quarter century.
Center
The lynchpin of an offense, finding the right centers for your squad is critical. Fortunately, for an All-Quarter Century team it’s less about finding enough good players to fill four spots than it is whittling down a massive field of world beating talents.
Fronting our top line, there’s no choice other than Connor McDavid. As the best player in the world right now, McDavid currently plays hockey better than anyone in history, and his virtual versions represent this excellently. He can do it all offensively and makes you feel better at the game the instant he takes control of the puck, and will be a lethal core to build an All-Star team around.
There are no bad years to play McDavid, but his current iteration is particularly terrifying. The only attribute of any type that dips below 80 is fighting. He never leaves the 90s for any puck handling, skating or offensive attributes. He is, quite simply, as close as it gets to a perfect Chel player.
Lower Lines: When you’re picking from 25 years of performance, even your lower line options are wildly talented. First up, in steps Sydney Crosby, one of the few names legitimately in the conversation for 2000s GOAT. He’s joined by Joe Thornton, a player with the resume to make this team and the grit to anchor a lower line, and Vincent Lecavalier, a leader and scorer who will center a line that will develop more clearly in future offensive sections.
Left Wing
Wing scoring is critical for a successful team, so picking the right talented players for the wide positions is critical for building the best possible squad. This group of wingers will be filling nets with pucks at will from the left circle.
If you want to get scoring, there’s nowhere to look first beyond the greatest goal scorer of all-time. After passing Wayne Gretzky earlier this year, nobody has lit the light more often than Alex Ovechkin, and he has accordingly been among the most fun and most dominant digital hockey players of all time. He arrived as a cover star in NHL 07 with a 95 rating and had been in the 90s every year since until 2025 when, thought to be on the downswing and holding on for two more years to catch Gretzky, only to have another year with more than one PPG to close out as a 91, making it 19 games in a row. He is an all-time NHL goal scoring threat and a no-brainer on the wing.
Moving down to the lower lines, a mix of eras comes to the team, starting with Paul Kariya. The diminutive Duck more than earned his place on this team with his strong play at the start of the decade, while Ilya Kovalchuk is a gunner even on a fourth line. Finally there’s Steven Stamkos, he of the famous left circle office, ready to split power play and offensive time with Ovechkin to ensure only one sniper can face the top defensive unit.
Right Wing
What do you get for a line that already has two of the best points-producers of all-time? Arguably the most creative passer in the game today, Nikita Kucherov is nothing shy of a wizard with the puck on his stick, equally capable of picking out a corner with a shot or whipping a cross ice pass to the tape for a teammate to slot home. With a 97 Passing rating, plugging him into a line with two lethal finishers, as well as offering a finisher on each wing for McDavid if the defense collapses too hard, creates a juggernaut on offense.
Down the lines, we start with the ageless one, Jaromir Jagr. Normally, players known for their long lasting careers aren’t always the best options for a video game list as they may lack a true elite peak. Jagr’s had several. Jerome Iginla is the final piece of a world-beating fourth line, while Martin St. Louis comes in to complete the Lightning line. Tampa Bay has quietly been the most consistent franchise of the 2000s, and reuniting Vinny, Marty and Stamkos each in their peak form is a buzzsaw line.
Defense
A strong defense is the bedrock of championship teams and choosing the best video game defenders for our roster is a key call. Our starting pairing puts Niklas Lidstrom on the ice alongside Zdeno Chara. The former is arguably the greatest defensemen this millennium, while Chara’s giant frame made him not only one of the best ever, but also a ridiculously fun player to use in video games as his imposing figure wreaked havoc around the rink. Just as Chara always stood out on the ice, he was unmissable in any virtual lineup as his goliath frame glided around screen.
For the second line it’s all about production. Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson have almost been united more than once at the trade deadline and the All-Quarter Century team is where they finally get their chance. With these two splitting power play lines and on the ice with top scoring lines they’re guaranteed fun and guaranteed goals.
To round out the lines, a pairing of one of the best of the best today with one of the best from the turn of the century with Cale Makar and Scott Stevens, bringing big hitting to the team.
Goal
The backstop is a critical role on any championship side, and despite some amazing goalies through the years it was an easy decision. The peak versions of Martin Brodeur and Marc-André Fleury form a wall that leaves little to no opportunity for the opposition to find any happiness between the horns. With each man taking his turn as the brick wall for a dynastic side their virtual selves peak at elite levels that match their real world excellence.
Fleury in particular, with his entire career coming in the 2000s, earns his place with both longevity and peak. He has been both among the top goalies in every game for nearly two decades as a goalie who topped out as the highest rated in the game in NHL 12.
This All-Quarter Century Team features some of the best virtual hockey players of all time, but there are plenty of other great players who could make their own case. Who was your favorite video game hockey player that didn’t make the cut?
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