NHL 11 does not use official International Ice Hockey Federation jerseys, as the game doesn't have the IIHF license.

The cover of NHL 11 features Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who helped the team win their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years in 2010.

[4][5] Players may choose to use simpler input methods instead, such as the control scheme used in NHL '94, in which pass and shoot are the only buttons.

Touted as "the biggest change in NHL 11" by producer Sean Ramjagsingh, it took a full year to develop and implement.

[3][5][7] Each bodycheck and collision is unique, such as glancing blows that spin a player, hip checks that completely upend opponents, or any other possible reactions.

[6] Player and puck movement now take momentum into account, and hits can be made high or low, with vastly different results.

NHL 11 allows players to choose position and grip, tie up opponents or lift their sticks, shoot off the draw, or even immediately deke through the opposing centre's legs.

[14][15] New additions in the "Be a GM" (general manager) mode include restricted free agency, including qualifying offers, offer sheets and compensation draft picks; six seasons worth of draft picks available for trades and as RFA compensation (rather than only one season's worth of picks available in the previous games); a revamped "Rookie Generation" system; all-new pre-season games to help the players decide their NHL team; and the ability to trade up to five players/picks, instead of just three.

[17] On June 21, 2010, Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks was announced as the cover athlete for NHL 11 in North America, marking the first time teammates were selected in consecutive years.

Toews won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

1UP.com took issue with the offensive AI, criticizing teammates who do not join the puck carrier on a breakaway, yet remarking that they show "flashes of brilliance in the defensive zone.