NHL '94

The game maintained the series' signature vertical camera angle, which offered the player distinct gameplay and strategic advantages over contemporary side-view hockey games, and kept the 2D sprite character models of NHLPA '93 (albeit with some new animations). The team rosters and player attributes in the game reflect that of the 1992-93 season, and include the league's two new expansion teams for that season, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now the Anaheim Ducks) and Florida Panthers.

Many improvements were made to the engine by EA between 1992 and 1993. Notably, NHL '94 introduced the "one timer", an authentic hockey move where a player shoots the puck directly off of a pass, as well as manual goalie control. NHL '94 also added the ability to save user and player records, and has five modes: Exhibition Game, Playoffs, Best of Seven Playoffs, Shootout, and Demo. There are no international teams, but both all-star teams are present.

Following the success of NHLPA Hockey '93, Electronic Arts initially planned its successor as NHLPA Hockey '94, retaining the NHL Players' Association licence but not the National Hockey League (NHL) licence. Producer Michael Brook intended to retain fighting, which the NHL had opposed in previous entries. After programmer Jim Simmons was reassigned to another project, Mark Lesser was tasked with programming the Genesis version. Lesser had previously worked on John Madden Football '93 and had little prior knowledge of ice hockey.

The developers prioritized accessible gameplay over strict simulation. Lesser focused on the game's camera angle, scrolling, puck control and speed, while developing the one timer, which became one of the game's defining additions. Igor Kuperman, then working in hockey operations for the Winnipeg Jets, rated players in twelve categories on a scale from zero to six; Brook converted these figures into the ratings used in the game with additional statistical information and a random factor. Los Angeles Kings coach Barry Melrose and assistant coach Cap Raeder were also shown a development version and provided feedback on its depiction of hockey.

Computer Gaming World in 1993 stated that NHL Hockey for DOS had "a playing environment that is flush with realism, excitement and credibility". The magazine concluded that "players will lose themselves in the simulation and feel they are in control of a televised NHL broadcast ... an experience well worth the price of admission". In June 1994 it was a finalist for the magazine's Sports Game of the Year award, losing to Front Page Sports Football Pro. Allgame editor Scott Alan Marriot described NHL '94 as "the best playing hockey game at the time of its release".

GamePro gave the Sega CD version a perfect score, citing improved controls and playability from the already outstanding Genesis and SNES versions, as well as the use of real-life NHL footage.

NHL '94 is often considered among the greatest sports games ever made, including number one by Boston.com. The Genesis version was included as #61 on Electronic Gaming Monthly's "100 Best Games of All Time" in 1997 and as #47 on IGN's Top 100 Games of All-Time in 2005. Bleacher Report listed it as the second-best hockey video game ever made (behind NHL 10) and called it "one of the best video games ever made". In 2012, GamesRadar ranked it as the 25th-best Sega Genesis game due in part to its realism; it jumped to 15th when the list was updated in 2014.

In Sweden, NHL '94 became part of Sega's push into the country's ice hockey market. Sega's Swedish distributor Brio used Mats Sundin as a spokesman for both NHLPA '93 and NHL '94. Brio had also become a sponsor of the Swedish Elitserien, placing Sega logos on players' helmets for visibility during television broadcasts. The success of EA's hockey games subsequently encouraged Brio and Electronic Arts to develop the Sweden-specific Elitserien 95 for the Mega Drive.