The look is deliberate. The developers intended the game to have a feel reminiscent of pickup games, or some schoolyard play. Rinks, however, do feature team logos. The borders lack much detail, with an occasional snowmobile or other static object on the side of the outdoor rinks. The indoor rinks have more detail, including lights which reflect off the ice and cheering fans, complete with waving arms.
Rinks lack the surrounding glass, although the boards are certainly present.
The players are a mixed bag. Coming in two sizes, the skaters are either bulky or a little scrawny. The larger players have huge torsos compared to the quick offensive players. It's hard to explain, but there just seems to be something missing in the player models. They simply don't have the same quality as the players in some of EA's other sports franchises, such as the FIFA series or NCAA football games.