Sanctioned by both the NHL and the NHLPA, NHL Powerplay '96 features all the players and teams from the National Hockey League's '95-'96 season. There are four modes of play: Exhibition, Season, Playoff, and World Tourney. The Exhibition mode allows you or you and up to four friends to play a customized single-game matchup, using any of the available teams.

The Season mode gives you the chance to play an entire 82 game NHL season, including the NHL Playoffs, and Stanley Cup Championship. This includes overtime games, ties, and player injuries. The Playoff mode enables you to bypass the regular season grind and head straight for post season play. The World Tourney mode is similar to the Olympics in that players play for the country in which they were born. Options in this game that hockey fans will be familiar with include penalties, offsides, two line passes, icing, player substitutions, and face-offs. As player-coach, you will be called on to decide your team's tactical strategies for each game.