Break out the goalie pads: NHL 23 is officially here. EA Vancouver’s latest reinvention of the hockey sim includes a visual overhaul to on-ice presentation and encourages NHL fans to make history with their friends using new last-chance puck movement, assisted strategies, full franchise editing, and for the first time ever, the addition of women’s players in both Ultimate Team and cross-platform play.
Superstar X-Factor abilities return in NHL 23 for the second year in a row, and they are headlined by two additions: Trevor Zegras’ flip pass (“Skilled Up”) and Sarah Nurse’s ability to shnipe after contact (“Relentless”). X-Factors are still categorized by Zone abilities (i.e. “Wheels”) and secondary Superstar modifiers (“Big Rig,” “Quick Pick”) and with Hockey Ultimate Team leaning into an NHL Hitz level of arcade mechanics, they continue to add layers of class-based competition that’s inspired by the likes of Makar, Matthews, and McDavid. Whether you’re all in on Be A Pro, Franchise or World Of Chel, here’s everything you need to know about the long list of X-Factors and Zone Abilities in NHL 23.
For more on NHL 23, check out the Gameplay Trailer and the Top 50 Players By Rating.
NHL 23 X-Factor List
Below is a quick look at every X-Factor in NHL 23. This year’s list revises zone abilities for more than 50 NHL superstars, including first-timers like New York’s Igor Shesterkin, Detroit’s Dylan Larkin, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, Montreal’s Cole Caufield, and Columbus’ winger Johnny Gaudreau.
| Team | Player | Position | Ability | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | Trevor Zegras | C | Skilled Up | Greatly increases execution of lacrosse passes and shots. |
| Boston | Brad Marchand | W | Make It Snappy | Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating. |
| Boston | Charlie McAvoy | D | Stick ‘Em Up | Elite defensive stick speed with poke checks; greatly reduces the chance of a penalty. |
| Boston | David Pastrnak | W | Shnipe | Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks. |
| Boston | Patrice Bergeron | C | Quick Draw | Added quickness on face-off draws; also boosts tie-up wins and defensive zone draws. |
| Calgary | Jacob Markstrom | G | Dialed In | Heavily boosts goalie reaction time, recovery, and save ability. |
| Calgary | Jonathan Huberdeau | W | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| Calgary | Nazem Kadri | C | No Contest | Increase to stick tension and strength going into pickups, resulting in more wins. |
| Carolina | Jacob Slavin | D | Shutdown | Buff to defensive abilities when taking on puck carriers 1-on-1. |
| Carolina | Sebastian Aho | C | Third Eye | An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player’s field of vision. |
| Chicago | Patrick Kane | W | Puck On A String | Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed. |
| Colorado | Cale Makar | D | Elite Edges | Can turn tight corners while also retaining high speed. |
| Colorado | Gabriel Landeskog | W | Crease Crasher | Added boosts to puck control and accuracy on rebounds. |
| Colorado | Mikko Rantanen | W | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| Colorado | Nathan MacKinnon | C | Ankle Breaker | Perform dekes at top speed. |
| Columbus | Johnny Gaudreau | W | Puck On A String | Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed. |
| Columbus | Patrik Laine | W | One Tee | Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes. |
| Dallas | Joe Pavelski | C | Big Tipper | Advanced speed, accuracy, and range when deflecting shots. |
| Detroit | Dylan Larkin | C | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
| Edmonton | Connor McDavid | C | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
| Edmonton | Leon Draisaitl | C | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| Florida | Aleksander Barkov | C | All Alone | Added power + accuracy on all penalty shots and breakaways. |
| Florida | Matthew Tkachuk | W | It’s Tricky | Can perform trick dekes with an increase to shot accuracy. |
| Los Angeles | Anze Kopitar | C | Quick Pick | Elite at intercepting pucks. |
| Minnesota | Kirill Kaprizov | W | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| Montreal | Cole Caufield | W | Shnipe | Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks. |
| Nashville | Roman Josi | D | Send It | Added boost to pass assist; can auto-saucer long passes. |
| New Jersey | Doug Hamilton | D | Heatseeker | More power + accuracy when taking wrist or snap shots from the blueline or from a distance. |
| New York | Matthew Barzal | C | Elite Edges | Can turn tight corners while also retaining high speed. |
| New York | Adam Fox | D | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| New York | Artemi Panarin | W | Make It Snappy | Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating. |
| New York | Igor Shesterkin | G | Butterfly Effect | Exceptional reflexes when dropping and making low saves in butterfly. |
| New York | Mika Zibanejad | C | Magnetic | Added skill at picking up pucks at speed and reeling in rolling pucks, less than ideal passes. |
| Ottawa | Alex DeBrincat | W | Make It Snappy | Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating. |
| Pittsburgh | Jake Guentzel | W | Shnipe | Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks. |
| Pittsburgh | Kris Letang | D | In Reverse | Instantly switch to backskating on a dime without any penalty to speed or acceleration. |
| Pittsburgh | Sidney Crosby | C | Beauty Backhand | More power + accuracy when shooting on the backhand. |
| St. Louis | Ryan O’Reilly | C | Quick Draw | Added quickness on face-off draws; also boosts tie-up wins and defensive zone draws. |
| Tampa Bay | Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | Contortionist | Added range, recovery, + save ability for desperation saves with or against momentum. |
| Tampa Bay | Brayden Point | C | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
| Tampa Bay | Nikita Kucherov | W | Make It Snappy | Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating. |
| Tampa Bay | Steven Stamkos | C | One Tee | Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes. |
| Tampa Bay | Victor Hedman | D | Stick ‘Em Up | Elite defensive stick speed with poke checks; greatly reduces the chance of a penalty. |
| Toronto | Auston Matthews | C | Shock And Awe | Elite shooting when coming out of a deke animation. |
| Toronto | Mitch Marner | W | Third Eye | An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player’s field of vision. |
| Vancouver | Elias Pettersson | C | Third Eye | An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player’s field of vision. |
| Vegas | Alex Pietrangelo | D | Shutdown | Buff to defensive abilities when taking on puck carriers 1-on-1. |
| Vegas | Jack Eichel | C | Make It Snappy | Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating. |
| Vegas | Mark Stone | W | Yoink! | An extra boost to stick lifting against momentum or speed. |
| Vegas | Shea Theodore | D | Heatseeker | More power + accuracy when taking wrist or snap shots from the blueline or from a distance. |
| Washington | Alexander Ovechkin | W | One Tee | Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes. |
| Washington | John Carlson | D | Thunderclap | Added power + accuracy with slap shots from the blueline. |
| Winnipeg | Kyle Connor | W | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
NHL 23’s X-Factors list also features 11 IIHF Women’s National Team players–from Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin to Team USA’s Hilary Knight to Switzerland’s 24-year-old phenom Alina Muller.
| Team | Player | Position | Ability | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Brianne Jenner | F | Big Rig | Added strength and agility when driving the net in puck protect. |
| Canada | Jocelyne Larocque | D | Bouncer | Elite at battles around the net. |
| Canada | Marie-Philip Poulin | C | Born Leader | Provides an energy boost for all skaters on the team after said player scores a goal. |
| Canada | Melodie Daoust | F | Puck On A String | Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed. |
| Canada | Sarah Nurse | W | Relentless | More accuracy when performing passes or shots after contact. |
| Finland | Jenni Hiirikoski | D | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
| Switzerland | Alina Muller | F | Born Leader | Provides an energy boost for all skaters on the team after said player scores a goal. |
| USA | Brianna Decker | F | Tape To Tape | Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary. |
| USA | Hilary Knight | W | Off The Rush | More power + accuracy when taking slap shots while skating. |
| USA | Kendall Coyne | F | Wheels | Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck. |
| USA | Megan Bozek | D | Thunderclap | Added power + accuracy with slap shots from the blueline. |
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.