NHL 96 puts the player in control of either accurate real-life hockey team rosters from the 1994–95 NHL season or customized teams and players.[1] As one of any given player, the controlling player can skate about the rink and stick-handle the puck in any direction, and can move with a short burst of speed with a certain input. When on the offensive, the player can dump the puck into the opposing team's zone, pass the puck to another player, take or fake shots, and execute a spin-o-rama. When on the defensive, the player can hold or hook, hit the ice to block shots, poke check, and body check.[2][3] Goalies can be manually or automatically controlled, the state of which can be toggled in the main menu.[1] Manually-controlled goalies can dive, poke check, and make save attempts. The player takes control of their goalie if they have saved the puck regardless of the manual or auto setting. In this stage, the player can either flip the puck out of their team's zone, pass to an open teammate, clear the puck along the boards, or draw a face-off by avoiding any input, at which point the referee will blow his whistle and call the puck dead.[2][3] The skill level of computer-controlled opponents can be adjusted to "Rookie", "Pro" or "All-Star" in the main menu.[1]
If a player violates one of several infractions (including holding, hooking, goalie-interference, etc.), the player is directed to the penalty box to wait out the duration of his penalty time, which may be two or four minutes depending on whether the player on the receiving end of the violation is injured.[4] Among these infractions is fighting; the players are capable of getting into physical fights during heated moments in the game, and this feature can be toggled on or off in the main menu.[1] If an opponent squares off against the player, the player can either press any button to drop their gloves and initiate a brawl or avoid any action for four seconds; the latter option will prompt the referee to intervene and call roughing penalties. During a fight, the player can throw punches to the opponent's head, send uppercuts, grab and pull the opponent's jersey, skate back and forth, and block incoming punches. Players who get involved in a fight are given five-minute major penalties.[3] The end of a player's time in the penalty box is signified by six tones.[4] Penalties can be toggled on or off in the main menu.[1]
The game's scoreboard is displayed between periods and any time the game is paused. Along with reviewing basic ongoing game information, the player can view instant replays, change their goalie, edit their winger lines, call a time-out (this option is only available once per game), or abort the game in progress.[5] The players can fatigue and decline in performance quality over time; editing the lines or calling a time-out refreshes the players' stamina. In addition to the cycling of lines being performed manually or automatically before each face-off, the ability of the players to fatigue can be toggled on or off in the main menu.[1][5] If the player's team is on a power play, the amount of alternate lines they have access to is restricted.[3]
