Shootouts cheapen great hockey game
February 22, 2018
The U.S. women’s team won the gold medal after beating Canada in an exciting game with great play on both sides.
There was only one problem: The game was decided in a shootout.
This is not the first time a gold medal or championship was won in a shootout, but the game should not be played this way.
The National Hockey League introduced a rule in 2015-16 that overtime would be played three-on-three for five minutes and then lead into a shootout if needed during the regular season. Playoffs use the golden goal rule, where the game does not end until the next goal is scored
In the international rules, however, the game is played three-on-three for five minutes, but then goes into a shootout. This can ruin a great game.
The USA World Juniors team won the gold medal last season against Canada, also in a shootout. The game was incredible, and entertained fans who all stayed up to watch it. It was great to see America win, but the shootout ruined the pace of the game.
Another game that was ruined by a shootout was the IIHF World Championship game with Sweden and Canada, with Sweden winning in the shootout. Again, the game was fun to watch, but it was a gold medal game, which lost all the hype after it entered the shootout.
This rule should be changed for international play because doing so would maintain the exciting pace of the game.