The GM Connected Mode Debate and an Alternative Idea

Key player motivations behind GM Connected include managing a team and playing with and against friends. This article overviews both sides of the debate and offers an alternative idea within HUT (e.g., utilizing particular features, custom leagues, etc.)

GM Connected was first implemented in NHL 13 and returned for one more year in NHL 14. In GM Connected, users could take control of an NHL team and go up against 29 other human-controlled General Managers.

The comprehensive mode afforded the ability to run full 82-game seasons spanning several years, take on general management duties such as signing and trading players, navigating free agency, drafting, scouting, and much more.

In the Introduction to NHL Gaming article, I discuss Franchise Mode and how users perform managerial duties. An online GM Connected mode elevates that experience more meaningfully. This is because users could play standard 1v1 versus, co-op, 6v6, and against AI in an online GM Connected mode.

Some fans of the EA NHL series have longed for GM Connected and its return. For casual CHEL gamers, it allowed users to play in a structured league with friends and other community members.

Talking to Jack Carter (@Jack_Carter_25) directly, he shares, “I loved it because you can get into a mindset of an NHL gm and do it with your friends and compete to figure out who made the better team.”

Critics are concerned that running a filled league with only human players is difficult, and there is a high turnover rate (e.g., dropping out of leagues, constantly bringing in players), making them unsustainable. Dekeslayer (@Dekeslayer) says, "Everyone wants it so they can play it for three weeks and never touch it again."

Others suggest that GM Connected allows the ability to play with friends and that leagues do not have to be full. DJ Lussier (@dj_lussier) shares, "four to eight friends to play in a league together, make trades, and try to win a cup against each other. That's why we all want the mode. Another way to play with friends."

Some point out that EA NHL’s gameplay needs to be prioritized first.

From a competitive standpoint, an integrated feature similar to GM Connected's affordances can allow running leagues spanning multiple months or even the entire competitive calendar year.

Erik “Eki" Tammenpaa (@EkiOriginal), the five-time World Gaming European Champion and the first-ever Gaming World Champion from 2018, shares, “From my perspective, I think GM Connected would be great for 1v1 leagues. I have run a GM Connected-type league in HUT three times with gold base cards, but I do not think I will do it again because it is a lot of work. It would be a lot of fun in GM Connected.”

A key motivation behind Eki's point is the ability to run a 1v1 eSports league. Another takeaway is that the features of a GM Connected mode can simplify the process of running them.

Other competitive players, including Jonah “JonaBruhh,” shares the following:

Considering all sides of this debate, GM Connected can be overbearing, making it hard to keep up. At the same time, particular features are intriguing, and there could be various ways to access them that do not have to be strictly through GM Connected. This promotes a new balance that better suits the desires of more people.

One example is a custom league feature integrated within HUT that is far more simplified, making it easily accessible and user-friendly. Additionally, the idea is that it also does not require a strict and extensive timeline commitment (e.g., set games limit to 25).

Hockey YouTuber and eSports commentator, Nasher (@TheNasher61) shares the following:

It remains to be seen if GM Connected ever makes a return. That said, a simplified feature within existing game modes, such as HUT, can provide a manageable balance. As highlighted in this article, the core motivation behind those modes was the ability to control a team and play with a community of friends. A comprehensive GM Connected mode may not be needed, but particular features integrated within HUT can elevate the user experience playing NHL video games.