Greg Wyshynski: There were lots of talks at the GM meetings about making some changes to the 3-on-3 OT format. There was talk about trying to reduce puck possession by implementing ‘half court’ rules about players circling back to their own zone.
Greg Wyshynski: NHL VP of Hockey Operations Colon Campbell on the OT format: “We haven’t gotten to whether it should be longer or whether we should get rid of the shootout. We don’t mind the format.”
Thoughts from the media
Eric Engels: “I find it funny GMs discussing tweaking 3-on-3 to forbid teams from regrouping beyond the red line once they cross it because it just seems like an idea to have more games end at 3-on-3. IMO, just extend 3-on-3 (even by 2 min) rather than try to fix something that isn’t broken.”
Patrick Johnston: “Why is players trying to attack the zone with speed a problem?
Are there really worries that somehow possession doesn’t change enough in OT?
Is there evidence that adding a limit like this will actually make it more likely the game is settled in OT?”
Frank Seravalli: “#NHL’s Colin Campbell says GMs discussed the idea of changing rule to limit teams from continually looping back and regrouping in 3-on-3 OT.
Potential solutions: Once you cross red or blue line, can’t go back out again. Or a shot clock.
Discussions ongoing, tabled to March.”
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show talking about the potential changes to the 3-on-3 overtime format.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “By and large, right now, you get the zone and if you don’t have the perfect shot, you regroup and it’s just like setting up for the perfect shot. And it’s whoever gets possession first, they’re setting up to take three minutes to get the perfect shot.
Friedman: “Yeah.”
Marek: “Glad that that’s on the radar. I don’t know what they can do about it. My glib answer has always been get rid of the coaches. Like overtime starts the coaches have to leave. Like the coach is gonna walk, take walk and go back into the dressing room. I’m sure you’ve heard some ideas about what to do with it. Maybe you ever thought of what you would do with three-on-three overtime. Is there anything that comes to your mind either how you feel or what you’ve heard about how to solve this problem?
Friedman: “Well, I mean, one of the things that you could always do is if a team does that you can blow it dead and force them to take a D-zone draw. But I know people don’t like whistles. They want less whistles. They don’t want more.
Like so, I mean, the other thing you could do is you could just say okay, you’re forced to dump the puck in and go back to your own blue line and let the other team come out with it. That’s something else but I you know, those are the two things that immediately jumped into my head.
But I mean, you should always make it a penalty. I mean, if you really want to scare people off if you can make it a delay of game penalty, but I don’t know if anyone’s going to want to go back far, that far.
But it’s very clear, Jeff that the one thing that they would they brought up today is they want ideas. And the question, like I said that was being asked is, is this still as exciting, and if not, how do we make it exciting?”
Marek: “How quickly would I get laughed out of the room? If I put my hand up and said how about two pucks?”
Friedman: “Yeah, I would lead the laughing.”