‘How I Met Your Mother’ “Band or DJ?” Preview: The Mother Plan Unveiled?

This coming Saturday will mark an important day for the ongoing Television Critic Association press tour, as 'How I Met Your Mother' bosses Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are expected to give an official announcement regarding plans for a ninth and final season of the long-running CBS comedy. To that end, 'How I Met Your Mother's' current season will soon begin showing signs of the end, as Barney and Robin head toward their inevitable wedding, but has a new clip from January 14 return "Band or DJ?" given new clues about the plan for the final year? Find out inside!

January 14 will mark the 2013 premiere of 'How I Met Your Mother" with "Band or DJ?," presumably carrying with it official knowledge of the show's ninth, and potentially final season. CBS has released a new clip from the upcoming outing, which sees Ted retreating into plotting Barney and Robin's wedding while Barney himself seeks out the blessing of Robin's father Robin Sr. (Ray Wise), but one particular detail caught our attention.

Seen in the clip below, if in fact Barney and Robin's wedding takes place on May 25, 2013, and according to established lore Ted meets the titular mother immediately thereafter (see: "Farhampton"), would that mean the mother would take a regular role in the final season as some have suggested? We know series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas would have plans in place for a ninth season of the series, but it remains to be seen if they keep to 2013 as Barney's wedding date.

What say you? Do you think the mother could in fact be introduced by the end of the season? Check out the latest clip from Monday's 'How I Met Your Mother' return "Band or DJ?," and give us your predictions in the comments!