Season Mode allows you to take basic control over an NHL team and guide them through an entire 82-game schedule, as well as (if you're good enough) the playoffs. Franchise is like Season Mode, but much deeper. In it, you guide a team through multiple seasons of hockey, and have control of options like drafting, contract signings, free agency, and hiring staff.
The game also features a soundtrack of energetic rock tunes from bands such as The Offspring, Bad Religion, and Mastodon, and an updated broadcast booth with new announcers Randy Hann and Drew Remenda. Overall, NHL 2K9 offers a fun and competitive hockey experience for fans of the sport.