Game Modes[edit]
Playoffs[edit]
To start a playoff series, select New Playoffs then choose a team to control. Team 1 and Team 2 will both be selected at the same time so make sure the team you want to control is selected as Team 1. Your opponent in the first round will be the team selected as Team 2 (you don't much choice in this area, it is limited to one or two teams). Finally, select your other settings and then press 
to begin.
The next screen you see is the playoff "ladder". This shows who is playing who in each round and shows who you will meet in the next round, if you get through.
Press start to go to the stats screen where a man called Ron Barr tells you a bit about the two teams playing and there are a few vital stats on each team. This is useful for working out how good your opponents will be. After this screen it's on to the match itself.
There is a total of 4 rounds and unlike the real NHL playoffs, each round is just a one-off match, as opposed to a best-of-7 series. So with 4 wins you can win the playoffs.
Cont. Playoffs[edit]
After each round of the playoffs you are given a pass code which is the equivalent to saving your progress. Write down the code and then go to Cont. Playoffs in the main menu at any time to continue your playoff series.
When you choose Cont. Playoffs in the main menu and press you are taken to a screen where you use the 
to enter your pass code. Press 
on a letter / number to enter it and then press when you've entered the whole code.
Best of 7[edit]
Best-of-7 mode is the same as the playoff mode but a little more in-depth. Instead of each round being a one-off game, each round is a 7 game series; like in the real NHL playoffs. Select your team the same as you would in Playoffs mode.
In a 7 game series the first team to win 4 games progresses to the next round. If you win the final series your players will do a slightly different victory dance!
Best-of-7 mode gives you a pass code just like in playoff mode, allowing you to continue your game at a later date.
Strategies[edit]
There are a few strategies that you can use to give yourself an advantage over the opposition:
Cheap goals[edit]
There is a way to score pretty easy goals and once you master it you will be able to be any team you play. It's a little cheap so it's not one for the purists but it's very effective. It basically involves one player skating all the way around the back of the goal, coming back in front and hitting a shot into the corner.
This method works best when you are shooting towards the goal at the bottom of the screen - and also when you approach the goal on the right hand side (as you look at it on-screen). When doing this the goalkeeper will often get caught up in the meleé while you are skating round the back of the goal, leaving you an open net to shoot at. It doesn't work out every time but it definitely gives you a huge advantage when you use this technique.
Fighting[edit]
Every now and then, one of your player will lose his rag and start a fight with one of the opposition. In this game it doesn't really make much difference who wins the rumble, as both players will be sent off the ice for 5 minutes once the fight is over. But it's about pride - it always feels good to knock down one of the opposing players. Luckily, there is a technique that should allow you to win every single fight you get involved in.
The key to winning a fight is to counter-attack. Stand just out of reach of your opponent and wait until he throws a punch. As soon as his punch misses you, move toward him and throw a punch of your own, then quickly move back out of his range. If you keep doing this you'll knock him out without taking a single hit.