NHL 11

As an ice hockey simulation, the game attempts to emulate the rules and play of the sport as closely as possible. Goals, for example, may be scored from all areas of the ice through a variety of different methods, mirroring play of an ice hockey game in real life. The default control scheme uses the left analog stick to control player movement, while the right stick is used to simulate the movement of the player's hockey stick, performing actions such as dekeing and shooting. Players may choose to use simpler input methods instead, such as the control scheme used in NHL '94, in which pass and shoot are the only buttons.

A physics-based game engine replaced the old animation-based system. Touted as "the biggest change in NHL 11" by producer Sean Ramjagsingh, it took a full year to develop and implement. The new engine allows for more natural plays and puck bounces, and simulates real interactions more accurately and realistically. Each bodycheck and collision is unique, such as glancing blows that spin a player, hip checks that completely upend opponents, or any other possible reactions. Player and puck movement now take momentum into account, and hits can be made high or low, with vastly different results.

On May 3, 2010, an FAQ was released on the EA Sports website regarding questions users may have asked regarding the gameplay of the game, before the game was released.

On June 21, 2010, Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks was announced as the cover athlete for NHL 11 in North America, marking the first time teammates were selected in consecutive years. (Chicago winger Patrick Kane was the cover athlete for NHL 10 in North America.) Toews won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. He captained the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup win since 1961, all in 2010.

NHL 11 received "generally favorable reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. NHL 11 was the fourth best-selling title for September 2010 in the United States, and opened as the 18th best-ranked title in the United Kingdom in its first week of release. Cowen and Company's, Doug Creutz, said it had a "weak follow-through" as it did not chart on the top 10 list the following month.

The new physics-based gameplay was well received, with Game Informer describing it as "steady progress" over previous games, and IGN noting it "isn't perfect... but when it works properly the results can be awesome". IGN also noted that the general speed of the game as being slower than NHL 10.