NHL 09 is awesome!! I own every NHL game from 2000 on, and this one is easily the best one yet! Be A Pro mode is unbelievable, it can get boring after a while, but its quite the step up and they can improve on it for a long time. The new checking and fighting engine in this game is awesome! its so funny when you come in at 100MPH after the whistle and drill a guy's face into the glass.I think the only con to this game is the announcers, they get so annoying after a while, because they just dont shut up! they commentate every thing, Line changes dump ins on and on, I'm not saying its bad to have that in there, but only say it a few times a game! the new potential system is WAY better than the previous kind where it blended in with all the other attributes. a whopping 5 stars from me!

i have always been a HUGE fan of NHL games, not only because i play hockey myself but its because for me...its a way of life! this game has never ever ever ever let me down, ever single time i play this game, i always fall in love with it. i mean honestly, can this game get any worse, the ideas only go up and up. if you are reading this, i would HIGHLY suggest playing this game!!! i picked poor storytelling only because you don't use storytelling when it comes to sports, u just play the game.

I am hyped on this game. I love Hockey so it really appeals to me. But its still a great game. The new Be a Pro mode (similar to Maddens Superstar mode) is great. It is very fun, but gets repetitive after a while. But the best thing this game has to offer is the online hockey league. You start off by joining or creating a club, which can hold up to 50 people. You and 5 other of those people go online, play against other 6 player teams from different clubs, and you pick your position and play it.
Very fun.