Make your offer and see if he accepts. Along the way, the NHL Challenge feature of NHL 2001 is a reward system whereby you earn points for reaching certain milestones. The points can be used to increase the attributes of your players. If you want more speed, power, or hitting strength, this mode will keep you busy. Personally, I turned it off.
Shots already pack enough punch and skaters are plenty fast as it is.
The game's announcers welcome you to the world's fastest game. They were not kidding. NHL 2001 is essentially a revamped Rock the Rink with five-man lines. While EA's Rock the Rink is one of my favorite titles, its nothing more than an arcade title. Unfortunately the developers have abandoned the sim lovers in favor of a faster game.