2K Sports announced today that NHL 2K9 will be releasing on the Wii. This makes the game the first NHL and NHLPA licensed game for the Wii, and it will feature special Wii Remote controls. In celebration of this announcement, Mario appeared at last night's 2008 NHL Awards.

"Nintendo is thrilled to have 2K Sports' NHL 2K9 on the Wii platform this season," said Steve Singer, VP of Licensing at Nintendo of America. "This title has been highly anticipated by our Wii consumers who will now be able to use the Wii Remote to face-off, play hockey, and fire a slap shot in their living rooms."

"It's our goal this year to bring the fun back to hockey video games," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "NHL 2K9 for Wii includes the full feature set as available on other platforms, and added Wii Remote controls and other exciting features specific for the Wii console will allow dedicated fans the opportunity to fully enjoy and embrace NHL hockey in a brand new experience."

NHL 2K9 will release on Wii, along with PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360, in Fall 2008.