First let me just say that I'm a long time fan of NHL94 (bought it when it came out in 1993) and have played it for many years. I've completed thousands of games and have kept stats on high scores, etc. Over the years I have compiled what teams have performed the best and I have created a top 10. This list is totally unbiased as I am not a big fan of the game on tv nor do I root for any local teams (I'm in the NYC Area).
I also want to say that the rating numbers in the game are a bit deceiving and not necessarily a good representation of the strength of the team. This is because a player can be rated well in areas that don't translate into scoring, but rather just good "feel". My team rankings below are based on results (scoring and defense). In fact, 2 of the higher rated teams in the game (Montreal and Pittsburg) are not even in the top 10. In my real world tests and experience, Montreal has a weak offense overall and Pittsburg has a bad goalie and unimpressive shooters (yes, ML is one of the highest rated players in the game, but the rest of the team has low accuracy).
I can explain the results later, but for now, here is the list:
1. St Louis (Brett Hull gets my vote for the best offensive player in the game, Joseph is an under-rated goalie and Shanahan is a fantastic shooter as well)
2. Chicago (best goalie in the game combined with above average offense)
3. Washington (solid in very way and great shooters. It's amazing how many goals this team can rack up and bondra is the speediest player in the game)
4. Calgary (solid team with good shooters)
5. Hartford (yes Heartford, they have strengths in all the right places, an amazing team considering their low rating in the game)
6. Toronto (one of my personal favorites, I've set a lot of records, like 40 goals in one game, with this team)
7. New York Rangers (no weaknesses, but nothing all that impressive either)
8. Los Angeles (terrible goalie combined with 2 of the best shooters in the game)
9. Detroit (at first glance this team appears very strong, but in reality they are the 9th best)
10. Boston (a poor goalie and inept shooting from some players spoil a great center and the best defensive player in the game)