NHL 2K9 sticking it to Wii

While the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, and even the WWE have all seen their professional athletes and entertainers appear on Nintendo's Wii, there is at least one three-letter acronym in the world of sports that has yet to be converted for use with the motion-sensing Wii Remote. 2K Sports today announced that it will bring "the first and only" NHL- and NHLPA-licensed game to the Wii with NHL 2K9.

Already announced for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2, NHL 2K9 will retain the full feature set of those versions, while adding motion-sensitive controls. 2K Sports has said that players will be able to use the Wii Remote as a virtual hockey stick to mimic a variety of actions, including face-offs and slap shots.

To mark the occasion of the NHL arriving on Nintendo's latest system, Mario will make an appearance on the red carpet at tonight's awards for the 2008 NHL season. The mustachioed plumber is no stranger to hockey fans, as his "Super Mario" moniker has long been the nickname of Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.

All four versions of the game are being developed by Visual Concepts, and will see release in the fall.