The Operation Sports Game of the Year is an honor that only one game can lay claim to each year. We are not sure if plaques are hanging on walls for winning this award, but we do know winning it means you have been crowned the best sports game of that particular year.

With that said, this year's winner is game that mixed excellent offline gameplay with new and exciting online gameplay options, as well as a new single player gameplay mode. The winner of this award comes as no surprise to us, as many on staff have raved about this game's features for a few months now. So without further adieu, the 2008 Operation Sports Game of the Year is none other than NHL 09.

Operation Sports 2008 Game of the Year: NHL 09

Staff Thoughts

Jayson Young: I feel like it was kind of a down year for sports games overall since The Show, NHL 09 and FIFA 09 are the only games that really deserve the title "great."

Of those three, I think The Show is the most complete all-around product, but I still voted for NHL 09 because its EASHL mode is more fun than anything that The Show can offer.

How great was the EASHL? Great enough that I have logged over 200 games with my Be a Pro character -- when I have never even been able to make it through more than two periods of a single-player game without getting bored and quitting.

Who would have ever thought there would come a day when the NBA Live lobbies would be empty and the NHL lobbies would be packed?

I hope EA took notice and is going to have its networking team buffed up for next year so we do not have to put up with the freezes and connection errors that kept the EASHL from being a 10/10 experience.

Christian McLeod: Not to take anything away from NHL 09, but I voted for NCAA Football 09.

NCAA Football 09 has evolved in so many ways since NCAA 08: branching animations that allow you to initiate a special move and chain it to another mid move, updated player models that look and move like actual college players, left stick jukes; an effective composure system, mascot and individual celebrations, and Online Dynasty mode.

NHL 09 is not that big of a leap from NHL 08. Sure, you have some polished up defensive A.I., a protect the puck button, and new checking animations, but for the most part the core gameplay of 09 is identical to 08. This is not necessarily a bad thing either -- NHL 08 was my '07 GotY because the gameplay was outstanding -- but it does lead to many all too familiar gameplay moments/animations that begin to get stale over the course of a season. Additionally, for all of those who are die-hard NHL 09 GotY supporters, EASHL is a great innovation in sports gaming and is reason enough to pick up NHL 09 if you already have 08, but not reason enough to grant NHL a free pass to this year's GotY.

Sports GotY is not an award that I take lightly. I honestly put a lot of deep thought into the decision this year because we have two great titles in NCAA and NHL 09 (not to mention The Show 08). In the end, though, I had to give this award to NCAA Football 09. NHL 09 is a great game, but I have to commend NCAA 09 for the amount of positive gameplay content that was added this year. EA finally gave us a college football game that could be mentioned in the same breath as last-gen incarnations such as NCAA 04 and NCAA 06.

I have been playing NCAA 09 daily for the last five months and have barely found the time to even play my collection of other sports games. I do not know what more to say than I am helplessly addicted to the game. I will rush home from my office early to get a game in before my wife arrives home for the day; I have spent entire Saturdays playing a full year of dynasty; and I even find myself daydreaming at work about how to sway that five-star recruit away from my arch-rival school. These are the types of feelings only a truly great sports game can evoke, and in 2008, there was none greater than NCAA Football 09.

Jack Hoeffel: While I understand why NHL 09 won the award for game of the year, I personally voted for MLB 08: The Show. It is by far the deepest and best game of baseball I have ever played. I also chose this game because I constantly play it, and have played it almost every day since I bought a PS3 and The Show back in June. Having played baseball all of my life, The Show is the perfect way for me to relax. And not only is it easy to pick up and play right away, but it also rewards you for knowing the intricacies of the sport, which is a balance few games have been able to achieve. MLB 08: The Show provided something for everyone this year, nudging out the other excellent games on our list for my game of the year.

Steven Bartlett: I voted for The Show without hesitation. The small features added to this title, such as the Adaptive Pitching Intelligence help, make this a title that cannot be denied. Baseball is a game of numbers and the developers nailed it.

The pieces are in place for this title to repeat its success and compete for game of the year: unparalleled graphics on the PS3, baseball physics and simulation at its finest, and the standard setter for all owner/franchise modes in the sports genre. I had to put The Show ahead of NHL because of The Show's Owner mode -- it is immensely deep.

Patrick Williams: I voted for NHL 09 -- it has a slight edge over MLB The Show, mostly for graphical reasons.

NHL came into the '08 season following a successful campaign last year, and followed it up with even more gameplay additions, a whole new online mode that nobody saw coming, and one of the most fun games to pick up and play in a long time.

Sadly, the game is not without its problems and issues; it can almost get this award by default because a lot of the other sports titles were major letdowns this year.

Still, overall this is a quality game and is deserving of this title nevertheless. Whether you want to play online Be a Pro, online versus or offline franchise, this game offers tons of replayability. NHL 09 is certainly my choice for game of the year.

Ray Delizo: I understand the nod that NHL 09 has gotten this year from both fans and critics alike, but I actually voted for FIFA 09. From the animations, to the gameplay, to the licensed teams and players, I think it definitely deserves some consideration. EA definitely came through and delivered a quality title with this one, so much so that it has arguably caught up with Pro Evolution Soccer in terms of quality. Sadly though, FIFA 09 will not get the same kind of reaction here stateside as it does in Europe since most people living in America tend to gravitate more towards the Big Three: football, baseball and basketball.

Matt Blumenthal: Several franchises, especially EA Sports' football and basketball titles, made significant strides toward Game of the Year glory in 2008. But while these games improved tremendously on last year's efforts, they require another year of nurturing, leaving MLB 08: The Show, NHL 09, and FIFA 09 as the sole contenders.

When evaluating a game for this honor, one must consider the total package. Any game in consideration at this point clearly merits high marks for gameplay, and so factors like longevity and online play gain more significance. When it comes to online play, MLB 08: The Show lags farther behind the competition than did the rest of the pack at the 1973 Belmont. And down the final stretch, NHL 09's EASHL secures the victory by a comfortable margin.

Chase Becotte: "Game of the year" is a subjective term, and adding in nominees only makes the whole situation more personal and difficult to manage. The OS staffers are a diverse group, and thus, the situation becomes more difficult with so many differing tastes voting for a single "game of the year." To me, "game of the year" means that so-and-so game was the pinnacle of your gaming bliss -- it may not mean that to another person. But judging "game of the year" by that standard, I had to choose NHL 09.

I know I am going to play NBA 2K9 more than any other sports game this year; I know I loved the graphics and the endless amount of little details in The Show; and I know I will turn to FIFA first when it comes to throwing down in a one-on-one match against any one of my friends. But playing six-on-six hockey in NHL 09 is just way too much fun, and I cannot ignore the fact that I spent many marathon sessions playing it online this year.

NHL 09 embodies what is important in online gaming: The MMO qualities keep you personally invested in what is happening during each game; the in-game friends list/team element adds in a Facebook-like must-always-be-checking-status-of-everyone element; and the game is so enjoyable to play, that you can be playing and talking strategy with five other teammates, or you can simply be discussing how bogus it is that essentially the whole Montreal Canadiens team is starting in the NHL All-Star game.

Readers' Choice

The Operation Sports readers vehemently disagreed with the staff pick of NHL 09 by selecting MLB 08: The Show by a comfortable nine-point margin. The runner-up to game of the year was NBA 2K9. The space between second and third was almost the same as the distance between first and second. NCAA Football 09 and FIFA Soccer 09 round out the top-five vote getters for the Operation Sports Readers' Choice Game of the Year.

Winner: MLB 08: The Show

Voting Results: MLB 08: The Show (31.15%), NBA 2K9 (22.37%), NHL 09 (14.83%), NCAA Football 09 (10.01%), FIFA Soccer 09 (5.44%)

Readers' Thoughts:The Show has no excuse to still be lagging behind MVP 05. The Show is single platform, and glitchy. No way. NHL 09 absolutely blows The Show away. -- adembroski

HC 09 is the best, hands down. In depth, and incredible replay value. I have been playing it several days a weeks since I got the Madden CE, and will continue to play it long after football season is over. -- steelraccoon

Any game that I can still play three months after a season in real life is over gets my vote. The Show. Period. -- dubtrey1

I played a full 162-game season, playoffs, RTTS and probably hundreds and hundreds of hours if you add up all of my playing time. It's the reason I own a PS3 and the best baseball game I've played in years. The Show. -- getinthevan87

Absolutely The Show, followed by NHL 09. I've played both crazy amounts and both are great games. Just have to give it to The Show. One of, if not the best sports games I have ever played. Hell it's one of the best games I have ever played. -- cs10029