Break out the goalie pads: NHL 23 is officially here. EA Vancouver's latest reinvention of the hockey sim includes a visual overhaul to on-ice presentation and encourages NHL fans to make history with their friends using new last-chance puck movement, assisted strategies, full franchise editing, and for the first time ever, the addition of women's players in both Ultimate Team and cross-platform play.

　　Superstar X-Factor abilities return in NHL 23 for the second year in a row, and they are headlined by two additions: Trevor Zegras' flip pass ("Skilled Up") and Sarah Nurse's ability to shnipe after contact ("Relentless"). X-Factors are still categorized by Zone abilities (i.e. "Wheels") and secondary Superstar modifiers ("Big Rig," "Quick Pick") and with Hockey Ultimate Team leaning into an NHL Hitz level of arcade mechanics, they continue to add layers of class-based competition that's inspired by the likes of Makar, Matthews, and McDavid. Whether you're all in on Be A Pro, Franchise or World Of Chel, here's everything you need to know about the long list of X-Factors and Zone Abilities in NHL 23.

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NHL 23 X-Factor List

Zegras' Skilled Up is one of two new X-Factors.Below is a quick look at every X-Factor in NHL 23. This year's list revises zone abilities for more than 50 NHL superstars, including first-timers like New York's Igor Shesterkin, Detroit's Dylan Larkin, Boston's Charlie McAvoy, Montreal's Cole Caufield, and Columbus' winger Johnny Gaudreau.

　　

Team	Player	Position	Ability	Ability Description
Anaheim	Trevor Zegras	C	Skilled Up	Greatly increases execution of lacrosse passes and shots.
Boston	Brad Marchand	W	Make It Snappy	Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating.
Boston	Charlie McAvoy	D	Stick 'Em Up	Elite defensive stick speed with poke checks; greatly reduces the chance of a penalty.
Boston	David Pastrnak	W	Shnipe	Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks.
Boston	Patrice Bergeron	C	Quick Draw	Added quickness on face-off draws; also boosts tie-up wins and defensive zone draws.
Calgary	Jacob Markstrom	G	Dialed In	Heavily boosts goalie reaction time, recovery, and save ability.
Calgary	Jonathan Huberdeau	W	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
Calgary	Nazem Kadri	C	No Contest	Increase to stick tension and strength going into pickups, resulting in more wins.
Carolina	Jacob Slavin	D	Shutdown	Buff to defensive abilities when taking on puck carriers 1-on-1.
Carolina	Sebastian Aho	C	Third Eye	An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player's field of vision.
Chicago	Patrick Kane	W	Puck On A String	Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed.
Colorado	Cale Makar	D	Elite Edges	Can turn tight corners while also retaining high speed.
Colorado	Gabriel Landeskog	W	Crease Crasher	Added boosts to puck control and accuracy on rebounds.
Colorado	Mikko Rantanen	W	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
Colorado	Nathan MacKinnon	C	Ankle Breaker	Perform dekes at top speed.
Columbus	Johnny Gaudreau	W	Puck On A String	Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed.
Columbus	Patrik Laine	W	One Tee	Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes.
Dallas	Joe Pavelski	C	Big Tipper	Advanced speed, accuracy, and range when deflecting shots.
Detroit	Dylan Larkin	C	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.
Edmonton	Connor McDavid	C	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.
Edmonton	Leon Draisaitl	C	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
Florida	Aleksander Barkov	C	All Alone	Added power + accuracy on all penalty shots and breakaways.
Florida	Matthew Tkachuk	W	It's Tricky	Can perform trick dekes with an increase to shot accuracy.
Los Angeles	Anze Kopitar	C	Quick Pick	Elite at intercepting pucks.
Minnesota	Kirill Kaprizov	W	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
Montreal	Cole Caufield	W	Shnipe	Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks.
Nashville	Roman Josi	D	Send It	Added boost to pass assist; can auto-saucer long passes.
New Jersey	Doug Hamilton	D	Heatseeker	More power + accuracy when taking wrist or snap shots from the blueline or from a distance.
New York	Matthew Barzal	C	Elite Edges	Can turn tight corners while also retaining high speed.
New York	Adam Fox	D	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
New York	Artemi Panarin	W	Make It Snappy	Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating.
New York	Igor Shesterkin	G	Butterfly Effect	Exceptional reflexes when dropping and making low saves in butterfly.
New York	Mika Zibanejad	C	Magnetic	Added skill at picking up pucks at speed and reeling in rolling pucks, less than ideal passes.
Ottawa	Alex DeBrincat	W	Make It Snappy	Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating.
Pittsburgh	Jake Guentzel	W	Shnipe	Can settle the puck easier with boosts to wrist shot power and accuracy off settled pucks.
Pittsburgh	Kris Letang	D	In Reverse	Instantly switch to backskating on a dime without any penalty to speed or acceleration.
Pittsburgh	Sidney Crosby	C	Beauty Backhand	More power + accuracy when shooting on the backhand.
St. Louis	Ryan O'Reilly	C	Quick Draw	Added quickness on face-off draws; also boosts tie-up wins and defensive zone draws.
Tampa Bay	Andrei Vasilevskiy	G	Contortionist	Added range, recovery, + save ability for desperation saves with or against momentum.
Tampa Bay	Brayden Point	C	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.
Tampa Bay	Nikita Kucherov	W	Make It Snappy	Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating.
Tampa Bay	Steven Stamkos	C	One Tee	Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes.
Tampa Bay	Victor Hedman	D	Stick 'Em Up	Elite defensive stick speed with poke checks; greatly reduces the chance of a penalty.
Toronto	Auston Matthews	C	Shock And Awe	Elite shooting when coming out of a deke animation.
Toronto	Mitch Marner	W	Third Eye	An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player's field of vision.
Vancouver	Elias Pettersson	C	Third Eye	An increase to pass assist with ability to auto-saucer pass out of a player's field of vision.
Vegas	Alex Pietrangelo	D	Shutdown	Buff to defensive abilities when taking on puck carriers 1-on-1.
Vegas	Jack Eichel	C	Make It Snappy	Boosts power + accuracy when taking snap shots while skating.
Vegas	Mark Stone	W	Yoink!	An extra boost to stick lifting against momentum or speed.
Vegas	Shea Theodore	D	Heatseeker	More power + accuracy when taking wrist or snap shots from the blueline or from a distance.
Washington	Alexander Ovechkin	W	One Tee	Boosts to power + accuracy on one-timers; can also one-time less than ideal passes.
Washington	John Carlson	D	Thunderclap	Added power + accuracy with slap shots from the blueline.
Winnipeg	Kyle Connor	W	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.

Nurse's Relentless is one of two new X-Factors.NHL 23's X-Factors list also features 11 IIHF Women’s National Team players--from Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin to Team USA's Hilary Knight to Switzerland's 24-year-old phenom Alina Muller.

　　

Team	Player	Position	Ability	Ability Description
Canada	Brianne Jenner	F	Big Rig	Added strength and agility when driving the net in puck protect.
Canada	Jocelyne Larocque	D	Bouncer	Elite at battles around the net.
Canada	Marie-Philip Poulin	C	Born Leader	Provides an energy boost for all skaters on the team after said player scores a goal.
Canada	Melodie Daoust	F	Puck On A String	Exceptional toe-drag and stick handling speed.
Canada	Sarah Nurse	W	Relentless	More accuracy when performing passes or shots after contact.
Finland	Jenni Hiirikoski	D	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.
Switzerland	Alina Muller	F	Born Leader	Provides an energy boost for all skaters on the team after said player scores a goal.
USA	Brianna Decker	F	Tape To Tape	Added power + accuracy on all passes within vision; passes will auto-saucer when necessary.
USA	Hilary Knight	W	Off The Rush	More power + accuracy when taking slap shots while skating.
USA	Kendall Coyne	F	Wheels	Active boosts to agility, speed, and acceleration when player is skating with the puck.
USA	Megan Bozek	D	Thunderclap	Added power + accuracy with slap shots from the blueline.