The first PlayStation hockey game features both an NHL and NHLPA license for 26 authentic teams with 650 real players from the 1994-95 season. Players can embark on a full 84-game Season, take on the computer or friend in an Exhibition game, or go straight to the Playoffs to bring home the Stanley Cup. Four different camera angles let you customize how you want to view the action: a diagonal cam, side-view cam, ice level cam, or vertical cam.

Options include the following: penalties can be toggled on, off, or on except offsides; line changes can be set to automatic, manual or none; and period length can be adjusted to 5, 10 or 15 minutes. NHL FaceOff also features trades, team and individual statistical tracking, full-color player cards, instant replay, an option to create players with twelve different abilities, and signing and releasing free agents (each team can have no more than 25 players). Saving statistics, created players, modified rosters and/or season progress requires the use of a memory card with two to eight blocks free.