There's no creation. There will be a physical defensemen class, but you don't actually customize their attributes.
The Polygon article is accurate in many respects. There is a risk by going with this system that the mode loses some depth and incentive to keep playing. The idea is that w/ balanced classes and no wacky attributes, the emphasis will be on teamplay and hockey knowledge. Think of it like an E-sports approach with a higher skill gap that will hopefully keep fans playing without grinding or chasing the progression carrot.
I'm excited for it because I'm a fan of classic Arena games w/ equal starts and stuff where as much as possible is left to the players. I hope it works for EASHL.