Three-on-three overtime has lost its pizzazz, the NHL is looking for a new way. What are the suggestions?

Hockey is a fun game that is constantly evolving. Both in terms of more modern equipment, more sophisticated tactics and rules. Since 2015, the NHL has introduced overtime with three players on each side. Now, general managers from the world’s most famous hockey league are discussing how to make the model even better.

Just think back to the very beginning of this innovation. The introduction of three-on-three overtime was intended to make the end of games more attractive and to eliminate as much as possible that the bonus point would be decided by a shootout. A discipline that was never really popular overseas.

Today we can safely say that this move was the right step forward. Three-way overtime has become an integral part of almost all hockey competitions in the world. It’s here to stay forever, one would say. It’s just that the NHL is looking for another way again after all these years.

The fact is that three-on-three extension somewhere in 2016 and in 2023 are two completely different disciplines. Hooray hockey up and down has become tactical wait-and-see. It sometimes takes long minutes for one team to commit to putting all their cards on the line while opening up the defense for a possible counterattack.

It’s fun, but..

“Three-on-three is great fun when played at pace and with many scoring opportunities. The most experienced players are usually on the ice. And when they can show off their speed and skill, it’s great for the fans,” St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong tells The Athletic.

As the editor of the aforementioned site aptly noted, the most important line in Armstrong’s statement is, “When the game is played at pace and with many scoring opportunities.” Most of the set time is played differently. Carefully, with the puck on the stick. Rather than lose the puck, you’d rather leave the offensive zone four times.

And that’s why Doug Armstrong finally added: “I’m all for exploring adjustments.”

That’s a topic, after all, that all 32 NHL general managers discussed last week during a league meeting in Toronto. The NHL has always wanted to stay one step ahead of the rest of the hockey world. That’s why the executives take these discussions quite seriously, even though a European fan might well be tapping his forehead.

A specific suggestion – over-and-back

“I don’t think this extension is as exciting as when it was first introduced. So we’re trying to look at if there was what we call an ‘over-and-back line,’ if that would make a difference,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said specifically. His rival and industry colleague Bill Guerin of Minnesota also believes something needs to be done.

What exactly does “over-and-back” mean? In practical terms, it means that when a team crosses the blue or red line, they can’t leave the zone with the puck. Francis, in particular, likes this idea a lot. But not everyone sees the potential rule change as a good thing.

“Leaving the zone can also mean a bad pass. We don’t want more whistles. We don’t want to prolong the game,” Nashville general manager Barry Trotz commented on the possible change. He is concerned that there would be a lot of hard-to-judge situations that would cause unnecessary emotion.

The current Predators manager has served as head coach for many years. He was one of the pioneers of the “new strategy” of the three-man extension. Trotz and his smarter colleagues found that if their team held the puck longer, their chances of success increased.

In a way, you could say that these coaches made the three-man overtime less attractive. That’s not a criticism, it’s a fact. None of the coaches in modern hockey are fans of offensive hockey. They’d rather win 1-0 than 9-8.

What about other suggestions?

The managers’ meeting revealed one thing in particular. Making another rule change won’t be easy. Virtually every one of the proposals has met with some resistance.

For example, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is proposing that overtime be played longer than the current five minutes. But the league can’t be expected to come out in favor here. The players already have a busy enough schedule, another rule that would tire the stars more is not an option. And as for the crucial part of the game, trust that the best players will always be on the ice as often as possible.

Another suggestion talks again about a time limit on shots, similar to the way it is in basketball. This could speed up the game. The team in possession of the puck couldn’t just circle the puck for two minutes without any offensive effort.

At this point, there was a sort of informal meeting in Toronto where there was a discussion. That’s also why some of the general managers refrained from making any comments because the official meeting won’t take place until March. Where the league will ultimately go in the coming years is not at all predictable at this point. However, we already know from history that it would perhaps be a bigger surprise if the NHL decided to leave things as they are.

Source: NHL, The Athletic