News Article: New AHL overtime rules, could be preview for NHL

[Gee Wally]

The AHL often tests new rules and other changes to the game before the NHL adopts them, and we might be seeing another example of that with the new overtime format being used in the 2014-15 season.

• Rule 85 (“Overtimeâ€) — “During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be seven minutes (7:00) in length, preceded by a ‘dry scrape’ of the entire ice surface. Teams will change ends at the start of overtime. Full playing strength will be 4-on-4 until the first whistle following three minutes of play (4:00 remaining), at which time full strength will be reduced to 3-on-3 for the duration of the overtime period. If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.â€

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/07/new-ahl-overtime-rules-could-be-preview-of-things-to-come-in-nhl/

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[DitClapper]

The fighting rule is dreadful...what's hockey without a nice brawl.

 

[smithformeragent]

Seems like a strange compromise between the current system and a full 5 mins of 4 on 4 followed by 5 mins of 3 on 3.

Not a fan.

Over the course of the regular season, it really matters very little how they handle OT in my opinion.
The season just serves to whittle the field down to 16 teams. The teams that deserve to make the playoffs will make it regardless.

 

[ReggieMoto]

I fall into the camp where "almost" anything is better than the shootout. Hence, 3-on-3 probably isn't THAT bad. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[GordonHowe]

Seems like a strange compromise between the current system and a full 5 mins of 4 on 4 followed by 5 mins of 3 on 3.

Not a fan.

Over the course of the regular season, it really matters very little how they handle OT in my opinion.
The season just serves to whittle the field down to 16 teams. The teams that deserve to make the playoffs will make it regardless.

It's not too bad. Wish they would ax the shootout.

 

[smithformeragent]

I'd be fine with them going back to ties.
I'd be fine with staying with the shoot out.

Whatever they go with, I wish they'd just stick with it.

Why do you constantly need to tinker with the system?
All that matters is that in the playoffs, it remains the first to score wins.

 

[bb_fan]

The AHL often tests new rules and other changes to the game before the NHL adopts them, and we might be seeing another example of that with the new overtime format being used in the 2014-15 season.

• Rule 85 (“Overtime”) — “During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be seven minutes (7:00) in length, preceded by a ‘dry scrape’ of the entire ice surface. Teams will change ends at the start of overtime. Full playing strength will be 4-on-4 until the first whistle following three minutes of play (4:00 remaining), at which time full strength will be reduced to 3-on-3 for the duration of the overtime period. If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.”

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/07/new-ahl-overtime-rules-could-be-preview-of-things-to-come-in-nhl/

3-3??

count me as a big no thanks.

how about points for a win, and that's it. no shoot out, 5-5 ot, and only the winner gets points.

edit: and only 1 point for an OT win.

 

[Artemis]

I'd be fine with them going back to ties.
I'd be fine with staying with the shoot out.

Whatever they go with, I wish they'd just stick with it.

Why do you constantly need to tinker with the system?
All that matters is that in the playoffs, it remains the first to score wins.

The AHL is the place for tinkering. That's where they tested hybrid icing before introducing it to the NHL.

The overtime proposal isn't written in stone. They'll see how it plays out, and make adjustments if necessary.

 

[Bizarro Bandwagoner]

Does it go to 3 on 2 for a power play or would they make it 4 on 3? 3 on 2 would look pretty weird.

 

[Bridges31]

Does it go to 3 on 2 for a power play or would they make it 4 on 3? 3 on 2 would look pretty weird.

It would be 4 on 3. They would never allow less than 3 skaters on the ice for a team.

 

[Jdavidev]

3x3 is just as gimmicky as a shoot-out.

I think they should leave the shootout as is, but change the point system. 3 points for win in reg or OT, 0 points to loser. 2 points for SO win, 1 point for SO loss. Every game is worth 3 points. Less teams would play for SO, and just getting to OT would matter less. And we wouldn't have another column to track in the standings (ROTW).

OR...

Just accept the ties man. It's not that big of deal for regular season. You can still do 3 point system, but 3 for reg, 2-1 for OT and 1 point each for tie. 4x4 OT can stay.

 

[Budddy]

I would drop the scrape and the shoot out...

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

With the parity in the league and the coaching not to loose there would be too many ties. Teams in the past few seasons would have over 20 ties. That's rediculous.

So is the 3 on 3 ideal? No, but it involves passing and defense.

All in all I bet most games would end if they did 4mins of 4 on 4

 

[KuralySnipes]

Keep it 4 on 4, extend the OT period to 10 minutes and then go to a shootout.

 

[talkinaway]

3x3 is just as gimmicky as a shoot-out.

I think they should leave the shootout as is, but change the point system. 3 points for win in reg or OT, 0 points to loser. 2 points for SO win, 1 point for SO loss. Every game is worth 3 points. Less teams would play for SO, and just getting to OT would matter less. And we wouldn't have another column to track in the standings (ROTW).

OR...

Just accept the ties man. It's not that big of deal for regular season. You can still do 3 point system, but 3 for reg, 2-1 for OT and 1 point each for tie. 4x4 OT can stay.

I swear I just read an article today in SB Nation that proposed a similar thing, complete with math for us geeks:

http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2...oint-system-a-small-change-that-would-lead-to

They have 3-0 for reg, 2-1 for OT/SO. I really don't care much which they use, but I do agree that making a regulation win worth more, and making SO wins and losses worth less, is a good thing. In short, the article says that there's too much incentive to "play for the tie" during the final minutes of regulation and overtime.

I don't mind overtime, and having a 3 mins and 4 mins of 4x4 and 3x3 isn't awful. I dislike 3x3, but I dislike shootouts more. I'm not convinced that the "second period bump" in scoring is due completely to the long change, and I'm curious if it's statistically significant. Even if it's statistically significant, I think it's something like 37% of the points scored in regulation are in the middle period, which is only about an 11% boost in scoring power. More time in OT, fresher ice, or fewer men on the ice would all make scoring more likely.

 

[doc5hole]

I believe in good games, win, lose or tie (ie. Tugnutt).

But, in the context of where we stand, I'm loving this development because reduction overtime adding two minutes and subtracting two players gives the game a much better chance of ending on a hockey play. And a hockey play no matter how many players are on the ice can involve a big hit, a great pass, a one-on-one move, a big defensive play, not just a big save that the static skills contest beckons.

 

[Odie]

Eh, pretty gimmicky, but I'll wait to see how it looks.

The fighting rule is stupid. Do people go to minor league hockey games for the talent?

I don't expect the players to support the helmet rule at all.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

2 point OT winner, 1 point shoot out win, no loser point.

 

[Bread and Circuses]

I personally would rather see 3v3 than a shootout so......lesser of two evils I guess......

 

[ODAAT]

The AHL often tests new rules and other changes to the game before the NHL adopts them, and we might be seeing another example of that with the new overtime format being used in the 2014-15 season.

• Rule 85 (“Overtimeâ€) — “During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be seven minutes (7:00) in length, preceded by a ‘dry scrape’ of the entire ice surface. Teams will change ends at the start of overtime. Full playing strength will be 4-on-4 until the first whistle following three minutes of play (4:00 remaining), at which time full strength will be reduced to 3-on-3 for the duration of the overtime period. If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.â€

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/07/new-ahl-overtime-rules-could-be-preview-of-things-to-come-in-nhl/

It`ll never happen again but I still miss the days when OT and that gawd awful shoot out were not part of the game, I`ll never accept a team losing in a skills competition or otherwise is deserving of a point

 

[missingchicklet]

3 on 3 is just plain stupid. Yet something else coaches and players will have to work on some, taking time away from practicing more important parts of the game. No other major sport decreases the number of players in OT, not even soccer. Going 4 on 4 is as much as a sport with normally only 5 skaters per side needs to go. I'm sure some people will find 3 on 3 hockey exciting. Hell let's just put three rings out on the ice and bring in some clowns and elephants while we are at it. That could be exciting too. To heck with this silly gimmickry. Having a skills competition determine a winner is bad enough as it is. Throwing in a 3 on 3 portion of OT before the skills competition will be the urine icing on a poop cake.

Simply play a sudden-death OT period with minimal stoppages, and if there is no winner after that then call it a draw. That's the most equitable manner in which to do things. NHL games are already much shorter than most MLB and NFL games, so it won't hurt anything to play a 20-min OT period without many breaks. I know that TV networks will probably have a large say in the OT format so I will not hold my breath on a 20-min. OT.

 

[JOKER 192]

Loser points are a joke and only serve to keep the standings closer. But it does make it more interesting down the stretch all be it by questionable means.

 

[MoreOrr]

Just make it 10 minutes of 4 on 4. Why complicate it. 10 minutes of 4 on 4, if they're still Tied then go to the horrid SO. Though with 10 minutes, I think there'll be a lot fewer SO.

 

[qc]

Not sure how I feel about it.

 

[Artemis]

Eh, pretty gimmicky, but I'll wait to see how it looks.

The fighting rule is stupid. Do people go to minor league hockey games for the talent?

I don't expect the players to support the helmet rule at all.

Do people go to minor league games for the talent? Of course they do. Most players now in the NHL have spent some time in the AHL.

And the new rules weren't dictated by the AHL brass, they were voted on and approved by the PHPA, the minor leagues' players' association, so yeah, they do support it.