The main focus during the development of the game was to improve player AI so that the ice would feel less congested than it did in last year's game. Players in NHL 2005 will be more aware of their spacing, and will react more naturally to puck movement, thanks in part to the developers applying five-man motion capture to better recreate the flow of an actual game. The developers of the NBA Live series used this technique to great effect in last year's game, so it's natural that the NHL team would try it. The result is more open space in front of the nets, and better positioning by players in the set offenses.

EA was also excited to introduce a feature they call "open ice control." Basically this gives you the ability to control players both on and off the puck to set up simple plays. One example would be breakout passes. You can set up a winger with the puck, near the boards at center ice, and then switch to the center and have him streak past the defensemen. You can then call for a pass from the winger for a perfect breakout into the attacking zone. Another interesting feature is that you can call for picks as you maneuver around the ice. While this tactic is technically illegal, it's still done in the NHL to set up breakaways by skill players. The developers warn that, as in the real life game, you can't use this tactic too much, or else you risk interference penalties or retaliation from the other team.