NHL 09 is one of the greatest sports games of all time, period.
Gameplay- Gameplay is awesome. The Skill stick works superbly on offense and defense, allowing you to do so many real life moves. It really puts you in control of the player. Faking out the goalie 1 on 1 with clever use of the skill stick is an amazing moment each time.
Be A Pro mode is awesome. You get to create your own skater, and take him up the ranks from the AHL to the NHL. You get graded on your play and get promoted or demoted by your coach depending on your recent play. The Dynasty mode is excellent as well, with a great amount of depth. Signing free agents is harder, and they actually consider many options before choosing on a team, which I think makes it mean something when you get a key free agent.
Sound/Visual- The Sound is awesome. All the sound effects were done top notch. The music in the game is above average as well. Where it really shines is with the commentary. Clement and Thorne work so well together and make the game seem so much more realistic with their knowledge of hockey. The visuals are good too. Pretty good for a sports game.
If you want a fun, deep, realistic and exciting hockey game, get NHL 09, period.