This was the final NHL game to be released on the PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows.

Players have the ability to create a player to use in online play featuring 6 versus 6 online teamplay mode.

Users can join online teams with friends or find players to create one.

Users have the ability to level up players, participate in tournaments (with brackets), and receive awards at the end of the season.

[2][3][4] During the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded NHL 09 with "Sports Game of the Year"; it also received a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay".