NHL 21

The career mode for NHL 21, known as "Be a Pro", has been expanded to be more interactive and cinematic, similar to other franchises such as Madden NFL and NBA 2K. Players create their custom hockey player and choose to begin their career as a prospect in either the Canadian Hockey League or the Champions Hockey League, or choose to go undrafted and sign to a team of their choice as a free agent in the National Hockey League. Players are able to select their dialogue when speaking to their coach or the hockey press in media scrums. The dialogue options the player selects affects their likability among teammates, management, and their brand. The Be a Pro central hub has also been updated to match the revamped mode, allowing for the player to access all important aspects of their hockey player in one screen.

The multiplayer-based World of Chel umbrella mode includes four separate modes that were present in NHL 20; Ones, a three-way free-for-all mode; Threes Eliminator, an arcade-style 3v3 mode; Drop-ins, 3v3 or 6v6 matches composed of different individual players; and Clubs; 3v3 or 6v6 matches between clubs of players. A new progression system is introduced to World of Chel, which allows players to earn a rank in each of the four sub-modes separately. There are six ranks players can reach; Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Elite. The player's rank is reset at the end of each World of Chel season, and players are then given in-game rewards based on their ranks in each mode.

According to review aggregator website Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version of NHL 21 received "mixed or average reviews" from critics, while the Xbox One version received "generally favorable reviews". Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 50% of critics.

IGN gave the game a 6.0/10, and wrote: "NHL 21 is at its best when I'm playing the wacky modes in World of Chel or the new HUT Rush where I can just go end-to-end while trying to pull off skill moves. The new Be A Pro additions are also significant and help to get that single-player experience more in line with other modern sports games. However, it's aggravating that during this whole console generation EA never managed to move past legacy issues like ping-pong passing, a lack of creativity in the offensive zone, and a narrow set of player ratings that make the gameplay feel stagnant." Game Informer gave it 7.5/10, saying the game looks and performs well but doesn't add anything new to the series, summarizing: "For now, NHL 21 gets the job done, especially if you want to play a fancier, flashier game."