The Professional Women’s Hockey League, a recently formed North American hockey association, has come to NHL 25. Given the league was only founded last year, this is a big step for the PWHL—while also being a leap forward for representation in NHL 25, the latest in EA Sports’ long-running hockey series.
In a December 5th update to the latest entry in EA’s NHL series, NHL 25, the PWHL was added. Fans can now play as athletes from the league’s six teams across NHL 25‘s many game modes, while also gaining access to those teams’ uniforms. To learn more about this collaboration, Game Rant sat down with Marie-Philip Poulin, a globally recognized ice hockey player and captain of the PWHL’s Montreal Victoire team. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Hockey Star Marie-Philip Poulin Talks Bringing Better Representation To NHL 25
Q: PWHL was established back in 2023. Can you tell us when this collaboration was conceived?
Poulin: Well, I think with us, with the PWHL, we were lucky enough to get started pretty much a couple of months ago with being able to get us in NHL 25, which was pretty amazing. I remember with the IIHF, we were able to get in the game a couple of years ago—but in terms of the PWHL, having us right in that game a year into our new league, I think says a lot about their leadership and what EA Sports is all about. Incorporating us into that game, it’s quite amazing.
Obviously, for us, we’re big believers in “if you can see it, you can be it.” So not only for little boys but also for little girls wanting to try that game. If they see their brother play hockey, they can play NHL 25 and see us out there. I think it’s pretty amazing to see that.
Q: You were there when NHL 22 first brought women’s IIHF teams to the game, and there have been further advances in diversity since. Has the addition of PWHL in NHL 25 led to a significant expansion of your relationship with the video game series?
Poulin: Having us in the NHL 25 says a lot about what they believe in. We’ve talked a lot about women’s sports, and having that support, but this is exactly what EA Sports and NHL 25 is all about—it’s supporting and believing in what we have. Like you mentioned, since 2021 the IIHF, we got in there. But now having a professional league, and knowing that we’re part of NHL 25—that this is our league as a women’s professional hockey league—I think it just shows that it’s representation. That it does matter, and that we are in that game for a reason. I think that’s a testament to what EA Sports is all about and how special it is to be part of NHL 25.
Q: Do you think those advancements in diversity in gaming have had a notable impact on the sport?
Poulin: Well, I think when you have that support of such a knowledgeable and popular company and business, I think it says a lot. For us, honestly, it’s been our first year as PWHL, and right away at the second year you have the support, I think it’s gonna grow a lot. That’s what we want; we want to grow women’s hockey, not only as a sport but also in games. Knowing that we truly inspire little girls and that we are part of that game, I think it goes a long way.
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Bringing PWHL To NHL 25
Q: How involved were you with the collaboration between PWHL and the developers of NHL 25?
Poulin: I think there were a lot of meetings that have been happening that we don’t even know. I think they’ve worked very hard for us to be part of this game, and we have been part of the scanning process where we scan our head, and really wanted us in that game. For us, this is just one step in such a big process, it’s just knowing and acknowledging the effort and the amount of work that’s been put in for us to be part of that game, and I hope it becomes the norm, and I hope it just makes people realize that, yes, there are boys playing hockey, but also that little girls can dream to be part of that as well. It’s really cool to see.
Q: Broadly, what’s the process like for having your likeness featured in a game series like EA’s NHL?
Poulin: Yeah, I mentioned a little bit like, the scanning was part of it—but there’s a lot that goes into it, and I know that our people who took care of this really made sure that everything was appropriate to each player. There’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s really trusting and believing that we are in the game now that the PWHL is part of it. Honestly, just having our names and our faces and that you can pick one of us to play on your team.
Q: Does seeing yourself and what you do rendered within a virtual experience change the way you view your work? Does it grant any new insight to you about how the game is perceived externally?
Poulin: It’s just to keep evolving and keep going with this league, and I think having EA Sports for the NHL 25 see it from the start says a lot. We want to get better, we want to be more visible, we want to bring more people in. It’s never perfect after a first year, but I think it goes a long way—especially from EA Sports and NHL 25. I think that it’s pretty amazing to see that and be part of that amazing project.
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NHL 25
- Franchise
- NHL
- Released
- October 4, 2024
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer , Local Multiplayer , Online Co-Op , Local Co-Op
- Engine
- Frostbite
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Mild Violence