Play as any of the teams from the NHL at the time this game was made and since it's officially licensed, the teams are all real. True hockey fanatics will want to take all of the challenges of a full Season but there are exhibition modes as well if you don't feel like enduring the whole season of grueling matches. But if you're not up for grueling matches, Ice Hockey isn't the game for you.

ESPN National League Hockey Night is the first hockey game on the Genesis to feature two views of the ice: a horizontal and vertical perspective, which can be switched at any time by going into the option screen. The game also features 26 NHL teams based on the 1993–94 season, players represented by position and number (the lack of an NHLPA license means no player names), and battery backup to save season progress, statistics and options. Modes of play include Exhibition, Challenge, Playoffs (one game or best-of-seven) and a full 84-game Season. The NHL Skills Challenge lets players take part in two events: the Fastest Man and Shootout competition.

The Fastest Man contest challenges you to race around the ice as fast as possible, while the Shootout tests your shooting ability as you compete for highest scoring percentage. ESPN National League Hockey Night also lets players customize the following options: penalties (on, off or only offsides off), game length (five, ten or twenty minute periods), line changes (on or off), and difficulty (beginner, amateur or pro). Former NHL All-Star and ESPN analyst Bill Clement will introduce team matchups with voice clips, and over 2,000 frames of motion-captured animation were used in an attempt to create realistic player movement.