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NHL 2001 for PlayStation 2
NHL 2001 for PlayStation 2 lets you control an ice hockey team from the opening face-off to the final shot. You look for an unmarked teammate, move the puck past a defender and try to draw the goalie out of position. A quick pass through the middle can create an opening, but losing the puck leaves your own defence exposed. You can apply physical pressure, block shots and change lines. Choosing whether to keep skating, pass or drop back constantly determines how much space both teams have.
Quick Game takes you straight into a single match. In Season, you follow a team through a longer schedule, with results, statistics and decisions about the roster. Trades and fatigue can affect the players available. You can also jump straight into the playoffs or organise your own tournament with NHL teams and national sides. Shootout puts the attacker up against the goalie in a series of penalty shots. You therefore choose whether to follow an entire season or play only a shorter challenge.
You play against the computer or locally with up to eight simultaneous participants, divided between the two teams. Everyone needs a separate controller. Three to five players require one PS2 Multitap; six to eight require two PS2 Multitaps. Controlling a team together calls for agreements about finding space and defending. You can adjust the rules, difficulty and various match settings. This PS2 release has no online matches.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
NHL 2001 for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of NHL 2001
Electronic Arts released NHL 2001 for the European PlayStation 2 in 2000. It was the first instalment of EA's NHL series on the console and arrived around the system's European launch. Electronic Arts Canada developed this PS2 version. The name refers to the hockey year surrounding the 2000–2001 season, not the initial release year. Alongside the new console release, separate versions existed for the original PlayStation and PC, so product information bearing the same title does not always describe the same edition.
On PS2, the series gained a new technical foundation for depicting the rink, players and match footage. Its core remained familiar: real NHL teams, passes, shots, physical contact and decisions about the lineup. The game connected those actions to a season calendar, player statistics and roster changes. A match could therefore become part of a longer progression, in which fatigue, injuries and a trade also had consequences for later encounters.
NHL 2001 also left room for shorter competitions and separate penalty shots. Its Tournament format brought NHL teams and national sides together in the same tournament. Local play with a large group gave those matches another character again: several people shared responsibility within one team. Later EA instalments would add features such as Dynamic Deke Control and Game Breaker. This early PS2 entry preserves the simpler combination of direct team play, seasons, custom tournaments and Shootout.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
NHL 2003 for PS2 shares real hockey teams, direct team control and longer competitions with NHL 2001. The sequel adds Dynamic Deke Control, giving you more control over your own moves around the puck. Game Breaker also temporarily changes the intensity of important moments. NHL 2001 instead has its separate Shootout and simpler season format. Both demand passing and positioning, but NHL 2003 places greater emphasis on individual actions and standout moments during a match.
NHL 06 for PS2 lets you directly control a complete ice hockey team, just like NHL 2001. The later instalment uses the right stick for special shots and actions, and gives the longer club career its Dynasty structure. Staff and finances also matter there. NHL 2001 focuses that progression on its season, roster and statistics. You therefore recognise the same sporting foundation, while the controls and off-ice decisions have been expanded in NHL 06.
NHL 07 for PS2 also combines single matches with long-term club management. This instalment uses the right stick for directional passing and makes you work with a salary cap and scouting in Dynasty, among other things. NHL 2001 uses an older match and season structure, with separate tournaments and penalty shots. The difference is therefore not just players from another hockey era: the way you control an attack and continue building a roster has changed too.
ESPN NHL 2K5 for PS2 shares team ice hockey and an interest in a longer club campaign with NHL 2001. The 2K game develops scouting, coaching and player development in minor-league teams further. Party also includes separate minigames based on hockey skills. NHL 2001 provides variety mainly through a season, playoffs, tournament and Shootout. Both let you play the puck yourself, but distribute the extra challenges and responsibilities surrounding the matches differently.
Like NHL 2001, NHL 2K7 for PS2 lets you build attacks with passes and look for space on the ice. ProControl gives you extra influence over teammates in the 2K game, while Pressure Control lets you adjust the defensive approach. NHL 2001 uses its earlier tactical settings and direct team control for that. Both alternate between attacking and tracking back; the difference lies mainly in the later game's expanded ways of directing the team around the puck carrier.
