With the announcement that NHL 2K11 would be taking the year off on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and the studio instead focusing all of its efforts on a Wii only release; we were surprised to learn that the studio had something else planned. For the first time ever, a licensed NHL hockey title will be coming to the iPhone/iPod Touch with the release of NHL 2K11 for the platform.

The decision to try something different with the release of NHL 2K11 on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform wasn’t a difficult one for the studio. With the number of NHL fans that own these devices and the continued strong sales of software on this platform, it was time to see what kind of success on this platform was possible.

The game features a brand new engine and control scheme designed from the ground up for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and it looks to capture all of the fun and excitement of NHL Hockey on these portable devices. The game will provide a number of play modes, as well as the ability for players to play an entire season. The game will feature roster updates throughout the NHL season.

The NHL 2K11 release for the iPhone/iPod Touch is set to arrive later today in the iTunes App Store. The game will be sold for $1.99 during the first week of release, with the price to increase later to its regular price. With this release, 2K Sports gets the jump on competitor, Electronic Arts, who has controlled the video game hockey market with its NHL series. EA will be bringing its first NHL title to the Wii this year, but as of yet has not made the leap to the iPhone/iPod Touch platform with an NHL offering.