Hockey League Slots

Hockey isn't a sport we usually watch. Most of our exposure from the sport comes from the occasional brawls that occasionally break out on the ring! But from what little we watched, we always found it interesting. It's a sport that requires you to navigate ice, control the puck and keep track of where enemies and team-mates are! It creates an absolutely thrilling experience that keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout the match. Can this slot hope to match that kind of energy and excitement?

Gameplay

Graphics aren't this game's strong suit. Now, that's not to say that Pragmatic Play haven't made an effort! But it's clear that their artists didn't handle it as gracefully as they have other themes. Even then, there are a few small details that would have made this release that much cooler. First is to swap playing card royals for actual hockey themed symbols! Alternatively, they could have styled them as fictional team logos, and made them match with uniforms of player icons! A bit of movement in the background image and the reels in forms of animations is also something we'd have loved to see.

You play Hockey League on a 5x3 board with 20 fixed paylines, which pay left to right only. And like with many Pragmatic Play slots we review, there's only one special feature. Credit where it's due though, they're usually interesting or lucrative bonuses! This time around is no exception either. It starts off as a standard free spins round, but picks one of the symbols to be the MVP! That gives that icon special properties that only last during free spins, and end once the bonus completes.

Hockey League Slots Real Money

While this game is a bit older, it still uses Pragmatic Play's modern user interface. Thanks to its minimalistic design, it manages to blend in perfectly, without any trouble. Our favourite part of the layout is tweaking your total bet! You can approach it in one of two ways. The old-school method of tweaking your coin value and coins per payline. Or the simpler way of just pressing plus and minus until you find the wager that suits you best! This allows players to bet between £0.20 and £100.

If you just rely on the special feature, you will be able to win a 500x jackpot with a full reel win. It's not likely, but your odds are better than usual if you succeed in triggering the bonus. However, your actual jackpot is much higher, and requires a full screen win of the joint Wild-Scatter symbol. The problem with that is that this icon cannot appear as the MVP symbol, making it nigh impossible to win the 1,000x top prize. The situation is further complicated with the RTP being 94.11%, which is two percentage points beneath the 96% current industry average.

Bonus Rounds

Collect three or more joint Wild-Scatter icons to trigger a free spins round. To start off, you win ten extra turns, and have the ability to win even more while playing the special feature! Before the free spins start properly, however, one random symbol is chosen from the playing field. This icon will then behave like a Scatter, paying from any position so long as there are enough symbols on the board. The pays for each icon aren't changed, so you still receive the same prizes as before.

Summary

Unfortunately, this Pragmatic Play release failed to click with us. This doesn't mean that it's a bad slot. It just didn't quite work with what we wanted. That said, there are legitimate concerns about Hockey League. Its below average RTP is cause for concern, especially with such focus being on the bonus. As it currently stands, we recommend trying a different game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Hockey League?

The RTP (Return to Player) of Hockey League is 94.11%, which is nearly two percentage points below the 96% industry average. This is one of the lower rates in the Pragmatic Play catalogue, and combined with the difficulty of reaching the 1,000x top prize, makes its sequel Hockey League Wild Match (96.52% RTP) the stronger mathematical choice.

Can I play Hockey League for real money?

Yes, Hockey League is available as a real money slots game at online casinos powered by Pragmatic Play. Bets range from £0.20 to £100 per spin. The game has a 1,000x theoretical maximum prize requiring a full-screen win of the joint Wild-Scatter symbol — though the joint Wild-Scatter cannot be the randomly chosen MVP symbol, making this combination exceptionally difficult to achieve.

How many paylines does Hockey League have?

Hockey League features 20 fixed paylines across a 5x3 reel grid, paying left to right only. Three or more joint Wild-Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels trigger the free spins feature — the game's only bonus round.

What is the MVP symbol in Hockey League Free Spins?

Before the Hockey League free spins begin, one random symbol from the playing field is designated as the MVP. The MVP symbol then behaves like a Scatter for the duration of the feature — paying from any position on the board without needing to appear on consecutive reels. The joint Wild-Scatter cannot be selected as MVP, keeping the game's highest-value symbol under its standard rules throughout.

How does Hockey League compare to Hockey League Wild Match?

Hockey League Wild Match is widely considered the superior game: it has a higher RTP (96.52% vs 94.11%), a larger maximum prize (5,000x vs 1,000x), pays both ways rather than left to right only, and offers a more engaging Random Stacked Wilds feature alongside a 3x-multiplier free spins round. Hockey League is the original but has since been outperformed by its sequel in almost every measurable way.

How do I trigger Free Spins in Hockey League?

Free Spins in Hockey League are triggered by landing three or more joint Wild-Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. This awards 10 free spins, with the ability to add more during the feature. Before play begins, a random non-Wild-Scatter symbol is designated as the MVP and gains Scatter-like paying properties for the entire bonus round.