The third game in the NHL series media franchise, it was released in September 1993 for the Sega Genesis and November 1993 for the Super Nintendo.

Notably, NHL '94 introduced the "one timer", an authentic hockey move where a player shoots the puck directly off of a pass, as well as manual goalie control.

Also introduced were team-specific organ songs played at the start of periods and after goals—examples include the Hartford Whalers' trademark "Brass Bonanza", "Halte-là!

The National Hockey League had EA Sports remove fighting from the Sega CD version of the game.

This port was based on the Sega Genesis version, but lacks the official NHL rosters from the original title.

Computer Gaming World in 1993 stated that NHL Hockey for DOS had "a playing environment that is flush with realism, excitement and credibility".

The magazine concluded that "players will lose themselves in the simulation and feel they are in control of a televised NHL broadcast ... an experience well worth the price of admission".

[6] Allgame editor Scott Alan Marriot described NHL '94 as "the best playing hockey game at the time of its release".

They also praised the four-player multiplayer mode and described the single-player gameplay as "Fast and frantic pace of skating and slap-shotting here felt utterly unrivaled."

The editors called it "nearly flawless in its representation of the speed and the strategies of full-tilt, real-time NHL hockey — and besides, it's one of the best PC games available.