Hockey Ultimate Team™ (HUT) is a game mode in NHL® 25 that lets you create your fantasy lineup and compete against other players from around the world, or in single-player mode.
Wildcard is a dynamic mode introduced to NHL® 25 that features changing rules to keep the game balanced and engaging, with rotating rulesets that challenge you to adapt and strategize. These rules include salary caps and specific lineup requirements, which create a level playing field for all players.
HUT Wildcard can be played online or offline.
Check out our HUT Wildcard video guide.
Rivals is a competitive HUT mode based on a skill-driven rank system. Play games to rank up in your Division and gain HUT Champions Points. Plus, if you earn enough HUT Champions Points you’ll have one more way to access HUT Champions.
You can earn additional rewards in HUT Rivals by completing Weekly Win Rewards objectives. There are three tiers of rewards each week to progress through.
Champions is a Weekend Season event where qualifying players compete against one another for the chance to win rewards. A new Season runs every week from Wednesday to Sunday. Rewards go out the following Tuesday.
Squad Battles is an offline mode in HUT. You compete against AI-controlled teams built by other HUT players. Each week, you face new opponents, and your goal is to earn points by winning matches. Your final score determines the rewards you get at the end of the week.
Completing games in HUT gets you experience points (XP) that allow you to progress through the XP progression path to unlock rewards.
Every HUT mode rewards you with XP. All XP earned in Wildcard, Squad Battles, and Rivals is combined into a single XP-based reward track.
Skill Rating is a way to rate your skills in HUT Rivals. It determines which Division you’ll compete in each week and what skill levels you’ll play against in matchmaking. Depending on how you do in each match, your Skill Rating will increase or decrease.
A Division is a group of HUT players competing online in HUT Rivals based on Skill Rating—the point ranking system in Rivals.
There are 6 Divisions in total, with Division 6 being the lowest, and 1 the highest. As you play in weekly matches, you can earn Rival Points, Rankings, and Reward Tiers to track your progress. The higher your Division, the more HUT Champions Points you’ll earn.
While playing HUT Champions, these games won’t count towards your Skill Rating or Division and won’t add more HUT Champions Points per game played.
When you first start HUT Rivals, you’ll complete five Placement Matches to get your Skill Rating. Your Skill Rating will then determine which Division you qualify for from Division 6 to Division 1.
Like Squad Battles, you’ll be matched on a leaderboard within your Division based on your Skill Points. The leaderboard will have seven Ranked Reward Tiers and include everyone within that Division. Matchmaking pairs you with a player that’s close to your Skill Rating.
You can move up and down in your Division depending on your Skill Rating at the end of the week. If your Skill Rating increases or decreases enough to bump you into a new Division, you’ll be moved to it for the next Rivals Season.
You need a total of 2,000 HUT Champions Points to spend on a HUT Collectible. This Collectible earns you access to the Weekend Season.
You can earn HUT Champions Points in:
If you have an active suspension or ban on your account that prevents you from playing HUT, you won’t be allowed to play in the HUT Champions Weekend Season -even if you qualify for it.
When you redeem your HUT Champions Points, you’ll get an untradeable Qualification Collectible. This Collectible lets you join the competition and earn Weekend Season rewards.
You can redeem your Points for a HUT Champions Collectible at any time. If you miss the cutoff for the current HUT Champions, which is Sunday at 4 a.m. UTC, you’ll redeem your Points for next weekend’s HUT Champions Collectible.
You can find your HUT Champions Collectible in your Inbox.
To improve your performance and climb the ranks:
You can earn coins, packs, and other rewards based on your performance in HUT Champions. At the end of each season, you’ll get rewards based on your Division and Rank in Rivals mode.
You can claim your rewards 24 hours after the weekly competition ends. The weekly competition starts and ends on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. UTC. You can claim your rewards from Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. UTC onwards.
You can start the next weekly competition while you wait for your rewards to be granted.
