NHL 15 is the 24th edition in the Electronic Arts' long-running ice-hockey series, and the first title in the series to be released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Collision and puck physics were improved, player models have been separated to three layers (body, equipment, jersey) in order for them to interact differently with their environments, and advanced stick handling was expanded in the Superstar Skill Stick (right analog stick) and could be used in tandem with True Performance Skating (left analog stick). The Vision AI system allows the AI players to react to both current and projected plays on the ice. The crowd now has 9,000 different models and four times the animations than in previous titles.

The game features the "NHL on NBC" system, which includes infographics across all modes in an attempt to add to the realism of presentation. Lead commentators Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk were even captured in full motion video (FMV) for match introductions.