Steven Stamkos was announced as the game's cover athlete on June 22, 2011, at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the first time since NHL 96, this series featured Winnipeg Jets who relocated as Atlanta Thrashers in the summer of that year.

Playoff is a singleplayer mode that allows the player to create a custom tournament bracket with the teams and leagues available in the game.

[18][19] GameTrailers said that the gameplay "just feels more alive," but were somewhat frustrated that they "did manage to find a technique to score a little too often," and also noted that the game "looks almost identical to last year's effort."

"[10] PlayStation Universe's Adam Dolge described it as "yet another terrific hockey game, and well worth the attention of any puck fan."