A successful string of hits and goals energizes the crowd, boosting your team’s stats.
Players earn points for performing tasks like hat tricks or big hits, which are used to buy packs of digital trading cards. These cards unlock hidden players, stadiums, and "cheats" like big-head mode. NHL 2002 [Xbox Classic]
For its time, the AI was considered impressive; goalies would "learn" your scoring patterns, forcing you to vary your shots. A successful string of hits and goals energizes