It's fair to say that hockey players want to be on the ice as much as possible. However, playing time isn't necessarily dictated by who's cool and who isn't. On the contrary, performance is the primary driver of playing time. While this is especially true in NHL 21, there are other ways to control the time you spend on the ice. Let's go over some tips you need to keep in mind.
As we mentioned earlier, performing well on the ice is a good way to increase your playing time. However, setting goals and assists are not the only two ways to achieve this. On the contrary, the way you play in different situations will not only affect the amount of ice time you receive, but performing well in key locations will have an even greater effect.
So how will you know you're in a key location? During a match, a cutscene on the bench will take place, in which your coach informs you of a goal to achieve. These goals can range from speeding up the pace and shots at the net, to stopping defense and preventing further goals from being scored.
Come into these situations, and your sympathy rating with management and coaches will increase, and you should receive an increase in your line ranking score, which affects your player's location in the roster. Do not produce in these places. and your line score will decrease.
Another way to increase your ice time is to complete other challenges unrelated to the situation. Throughout the history of Be a Pro, coaches, before the team's next game, may approach you in the locker room for a new goal. These challenges can be winning the contest or scoring a goal. Just like with situational challenges, achieving these goals will increase your management likability score.
