The Franchise Hockey Manager series returns for its 12th version in 2025-26, with new additions that will further expand on the most authentic hockey strategy gaming experience you can find.

Choose one of dozens of leagues around the world and select a team to guide to glory, including a chance at the ultimate prize: FHM12 is licensed by the NHL, allowing you to take the reins of your favorite franchise to capture the Stanley Cup. Or, take control of a national team and try for international supremacy.

You can also choose a historical game, where you can begin in any year in NHL history, play in one of several historical minor leagues, or play in a legendary international tournament, including (new for this year) the World Championships as far back as 1929.

If you’d like to create your own customized league, you can do that, including allowing international play in the world you design.

If you’ve been playing FHM11 and can’t bear to part with your team, import that save into FHM12 and carry on with the addition of FHM11’s new features.

However you choose to play, you have control of your team and can oversee finances, select strategies, hire your staff, make trades, sign free agents, and draft the newest generation of stars as you try to build a championship team – and then make it into a dynasty!

Game Features

• Preseason training programs can be selected and directed to help your players make big improvements before the season starts.
• Targeted training during the season can help direct your players into the exact improvements you want to see.
• An improved Draft Day Experience, including ongoing deal-making and news coverage as the draft is underway.
• Trade news has been significantly enhanced, including observations about the reasons the trade was made.
• We’ve continued to modify and improve the AI’s roster handling and player management, and cleaned up a large number of small issues that were detracting from performance and realism.
• Historical mode has added the World Championships: all the historical World Championship tournaments back to 1929 are now included.
• Better tactics management: sets of tactics can now be saved and re-loaded.
• Player generation has had further improvements, making superstars rarer but adding the long-shot possibility of a generational-level talent appearing that will eventually (if all goes well) stand with the best of the best in hockey history.
• A new in-game help system so the information you need is there when you need it.
• The big flow of good major junior players into college hockey has been implemented, and the college transfer portal activity has been ramped up.
• New league reports: staff ratings and alumni rankings, so you can compare your carefully assembled staff to those around the league, and discover which teams in the league have been producing players that go on to bigger and better things.
• As always, complete team and player updates for the new 2025-26 season, as well as smaller changes.