Major change by Gary Bettman: It would change the face of the NHL
No matter the rules put in place, changes are needed eventually because teams adjust and find ways to work around them.
This is the case with the salary cap, and it's also true for 3-on-3 overtime. The spectacle was magnificent at first, but now it's becoming more predictable.
Indeed, the goal is to enhance the entertainment and finish games before shootouts. However, the exciting aspect of overtimes is increasingly absent due to these adjustments.
Teams quickly realized that playing 3-on-3 is a battle for puck possession. Players hold onto the puck as long as possible, sometimes circling back into their own zone, and at times there's very little action for long stretches. It's becoming repetitive.
Bettman wants to change this, and there's already a solution involving a clock and a ban on skating back behind the red line.
A junior league in Russia is about to test this change.
Players are not allowed to skate with the puck back to their half of the ice in OT. A minor penalty shall be imposed upon the team starting the 2nd violation of the rule."
In essence, teams will have a certain time to take a shot on goal and won't be allowed to go back behind the center red line once players have crossed it.
The first infraction would result in a face-off in the defensive zone, and the second infraction would lead to a minor penalty.
The aim of this rule is to activate play and turnovers, which are fundamental in 3-on-3 hockey.
Obviously, if this new rule proves effective, we can expect the KHL and NHL to follow suit fairly quickly.
Source: TVA Sports
La LNH explore de nouvelles possibilités à 3 contre 3
| POLL | ||
Would you like the NHL and Gary Bettman to change the rule for 3-on-3 overtime? | ||
| Yes | 98 | 60.5 % |
| No | 64 | 39.5 % |
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