NHL Partners With Nex Playground for ‘Puck Rush’ Game

On the eve of a new season, the NHL has a new way for fans to play hockey — in their living rooms, no ice or stick required.

The league and Nex, the technology and entertainment company, on Thursday unveiled “NHL Puck Rush” for Nex Playground, a controller-free, cube-shaped “active-play system” designed for families with young kids. Here, the gameplay is powered by motion, meaning body movements are used instead of controllers, so couch potatoes need not apply.

Launched in December 2023, Nex Playground involves no internet connectivity, so there are no online interactions, ads or opportunities to make in-game purchases, making it a “standout family gaming option,” execs from San Francisco-based Nex say.

Nex Playground already has gameplay from Sesame Workshop (“Move and Groove With Grover”), Mattel (“Barbie Dance Party”), NBCUniversal (“How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of the Sky”), Hasbro (“Peppa Pig: Jump and Giggle”), DreamWorks (“Kung Fu Panda: Train Like a Master”) and other entertainment companies.

For ages six and up, “NHL Puck Rush” is the first sports league title available for Nex Playground. Players try to score as many goals as possible in a limited time frame, and they can unlock their favorite team’s jerseys, sticks, pucks, mascots and more as they progress and earn points based on performance.

“In a time where playing sports can come with significant time commitments and pressure, we’re excited to release a style of fun, casual play where hockey families — alongside those who have yet to experience the thrill of the NHL — can blast slapshots without needing a hockey stick,” NHL executive vp business development & innovation David Lehanski said in a statement.

With the deal, the Nex Playground console will soon be available for the first time at retail in Canada.

In other NHL news, the one-hour 2025 Stanley Cup Championship Film, which celebrates the Florida Panthers’ second straight NHL title, debuts Thursday on ESPN+ from NHL Productions.

And Friday, FACEOFF: Inside the NHL returns to Prime Video for a second season. The six-episode docuseries goes behind the scenes to deliver “an unfiltered look at the players’ lives, training regimens and the high-stakes world of professional hockey” during this past season.

Players in the spotlight include Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Marc-André Fleury of the Minnesota Wild.

The 2025-26 NHL season begins Tuesday with a tripleheader on ESPN: the Chicago Blackhawks at the Panthers, the Penguins at the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche at the Kings.