NHL 25: How to Win Faceoffs, Explained

Faceoffs are one of the most essential elements of NHL 25 to master. If you can’t win a faceoff, you have to rely solely on your ability to take the puck away from the opposing team or hope they miss their shots on net, since that’s the only way you’ll have any control. Faceoffs are crucial to win if you want the best chance of winning a game in NHL 25, but they’re extremely difficult to figure out.

So, whether you want to start winning faceoffs to get more opportunities on a power play or you simply want to control the flow of a game from the start of a period, you need to learn the faceoff process.

Winning Faceoffs In NHL 25

Faceoffs have two key components that you need to understand before attempting to win them.

First, you have to select the right grip before the puck is dropped. You can select the grip you want when your player is in the face-off circle and the referee is about to drop the puck. The two types of grips are Backhand and Forehand, and you can swap between the two using your right joystick. Generally, you want to set your grip before the referee gets ready for the faceoff, as choosing a grip too late can result in the selection not registering.

The grip you select determines how your player holds their stick. However, that player’s preferred hand also comes into play. So, if your player is left-handed, then choosing the Backhand grip means the player will be holding their stick to the right. Choosing the Forehand grip for a left-handed player means the player holds their stick to the left. Essentially, whatever way you hold the right stick on your controller is how your player will hold their stick at the face-off circle. You just have to know whether the player is left or right-hand dominant so you can fully understand which grip might be most beneficial to pick.

Speaking of the best grip, there’s a time and place for both the Backhand and Forehand grips. However, the Backhand grip is often the best to use, as it counters a majority of what the opposing player will do when the puck is dropped. Still, the Forehand grip is great for stick-lifting an opponent or tying them up in the face-off circle so your player can kick the puck out to one of your players.

The Faceoff Routine In NHL 25, Explained

Now that you’ve selected a grip, what buttons do you need to press to actually win the face-off? You can look below for those steps:

• As soon as the referee drops the puck, quickly flick your right joystick down from its grip position.
• Timing is everything when it comes to face-offs. You want to immediately flick your right joystick right as the referee drops the puck.
• Your player’s face-off rating will play a significant factor in how exact your timing is to win a face-off. A player with a higher face-off rating is more likely to win even if your timing isn’t the best.
• If you don’t want to rely on timing, you can use your left joystick to influence the face-off. Pressing up on the left joystick results in a tie-up, which allows your player to kick the puck out to a player.
• You can also use a Backhand or Forehand grip and press “up” on the right joystick as soon as the referee drops the puck. This won’t win the face-off right away, but this does perform a “stick lift,” which can cause the opponent to miss the puck.

There are several elements at play during a face-off in NHL 25. However, above all else, you want to practice your timing with the mechanic. If you can time a face-off correctly, the grips and counters don’t come into play nearly as much.