NHL 23: Release Date, Top Player Ratings, New Features, Preview and More

Ever wish you could play the latest edition of EA Sports' NHL video game series online with a friend on a different console? Well, soon enough you'll be able to do just that.

NHL 23 is set to be released Oct. 14 on the newest generation of consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S) as well as the previous one (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One). People who preorder the X-Factor Edition will get access to the game three days early.

In the past, PlayStation and Xbox had no integration. But this year, a November update will bring cross-platform matchmaking for both the Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel game modes.

That's not the only change coming to the series this year. The virtual hockey will be even more realistic than before, as some presentation upgrades will take the experience to another level.

Here's everything you need to know before jumping in and playing NHL 23 in the near future.

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Top Player Ratings

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid: 95

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews: 94

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon: 94

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar: 94

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy: 94

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl: 93

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby: 93

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane: 93

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi: 93

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman: 93

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin: 92

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov: 92

Calgary Flames left wing Jonathan Huberdeau: 92

New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin: 92

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov: 92

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin: 92

Full player ratings available at EA.com.

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New Features

The cross-platform matchmaking isn't the only change being made to Hockey Ultimate Team. There will also be quite a few new players to utilize in HUT.

That's because NHL 23 will have women's national team players implemented into HUT for the first time. With mixed men's and women's teams, the online squads will be more diverse than ever before.

But not everybody prefers to play Hockey Ultimate Team. Some like to stick to other game modes. So, what other improvements have been made to the game?

The biggest on-ice upgrade comes in the form of a series of animations that EA calls Last Chance Puck Movement. The company describes these as "a new layer of authenticity and excitement to the game, so that you can turn any opportunity into a chance to make the highlight reel."

There have also been improved strategies and updated X-Factors to the gameplay:

There weren't any new game modes added to NHL 23, and the existing ones didn't receive a ton of changes. But there has been more customization added to franchise mode, so users can have fun creating any type of league they want.

As for the presentation, this should be the best-looking hockey video game to hit the market yet, at least on the newest consoles. And EA Sports appears to have put a good bit of work into doing that.

Celebrations can be customized for various moments, including winning the Stanley Cup, scoring a hat trick, post-goal light shows and postgame party animations.

There are now on-ice projections, so the arenas will look more like they do in real life. It should add to the virtual atmosphere in a big way.

NHL 23 has also added a Crowd Engagement Score algorithm, which EA Sports says will have "fans reacting realistically to every big moment," such as shootout wins, penalties and more.

So, are there any massive changes or overhauls in NHL 23? It sure doesn't seem like it based on the information available.

However, there appear to be enough improvements and upgrades (especially with the cross-platform integration) that this year's version of the popular hockey series should be an enjoyable one. And that will especially be the case for those playing on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.