The 4 Lines — Your Orchestra
Four lines, 5 skaters each: center (conductor), left and right wing (pacemakers), left and right defense (rock-solid anchors). You distribute ice time between the lines — line 1 plays the most, line 4 the least. The art: don't burn out your stars, but have them on the ice in decisive moments.
Chemistry & Line Experience
Every line has an experience value (0–100) and a chemistry value (0–100). Both increase with every competitive match. But watch out: swap a player and you immediately lose some of those hard-earned points. The more slots you change, the bigger the setback. A well-gelled line can be the difference between victory and defeat.
A completely re-filled line starts back at zero experience. Think carefully whether a player swap is really worth it!
Your Goalies
The starting goalie is your undisputed number 1 — he plays the entire game. The backup rides the bench and only jumps in on injury. A strong goalie makes an enormous difference: roughly a fifth of your team strength comes from him!
Power Play & Penalty Kill
Man advantage and short-handed — this is where specialists decide. On the power play (5 on 4 or 5 on 3) you can field your most offensive players. On the penalty kill (4 on 5) you need defensive workers. You set up 2 formations each. These players don't have to come from your regular lines — put in specialists!
The Captain's 'C'
Your captain and up to two assistants give the whole squad a boost — provided they're on the ice themselves. A goalie can't wear the 'C'. Choose your captain wisely: he should be a leader who always plays in one of the first three lines.