3 Reasons Why It’s Time to Scrap the Shootout
As the National Hockey League finally takes steps in a positive direction regarding “head shots” and the penalties that should be levied against offenders, it’s time that the powers that be take care of another hot button issue.
It’s time to get rid of the shootout as a way of deciding regular season National Hockey League games…and here are 3 reasons in support of it’s abolition:
1) The points won / lost are too precious, as you can plainly see at the end of each regular season. Not only are there minuscule differences in teams point totals that decide what position they are seeded for the playoffs, there will be teams that miss the post-season dance because of points lost in shootout games.
2) In no other professional sport do they resort to what amounts to a skills competition to decide a tied game. In Major League Baseball, they do not pull all of the fielders off of the diamond and have one team’s three best home run hitters swing for the fences against the other team’s best pitcher to slug it out in a home run hitting competition. In the National Football League, they do not regress to a Punt, Pass and Kick competition to come to a conclusion as to a winner. In the National Basketball Association, they do not have a slam-dunk competition to say who deserves the “W”.
And similarly, the NHL should not allow shootouts to determine a winner.
3) In addition to weakening the integrity of the NHL regular season product, it also takes away one of the precious few things that makes the NHL’s All-Star Weekend something special in an otherwise forgettable “showcase”.
The shootout / breakaway event is a skills competition…always has been, always will be. Put it back in it’s rightful place, as an event that people can anticipate for that time. The breakaway event in the Skills Competition is one of the staple events that fans actually look forward to during the weekend. And the shootout / breakaway event is right along with the target shooting, fastest skater, and hardest slapshot competitions.
And none of those other competitions should decide a regular season NHL game, either.
Think it’s ridiculous to have a game won because Washington’s Alex Ovechkin clocked a higher slapshot speed on the radar than that of New Jersey’s Zach Parise? Or because Detroit’s Darren Helm skated faster than Calgary’s Jarome Iginla? How about if Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin broke more targets on the corners of the goal than Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne was able to hit?
Of course it’s ridiculous. And it’s no different than allowing a shootout establish which team comes away with the victory.
Adopted at the commencement of the 2005-06 season when the league returned from the lockout, the shootout is evidently a way to help those with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder to make it through an entire NHL game. It’s just another in a long line of failed marketing ploys by Gary Bettman & Company to try and lure non-hockey fans to NHL arenas. It may be fun for the non-hockey fan, but it is not hockey. Hockey is a team sport, and a win or loss should be decided by the teams.
On March 7th in Anaheim, Jonas Hiller was spectacular in net for the Ducks. Though he had faced 43 shots, he stood on his head and had gotten his team through the overtime period with 40 saves and the game was tied 3-3. Montreal Canadiens’ netminder Jaroslav Halak made one more save in the shootout, and Hiller was tagged that night as the “loser”.
Maybe the league should consider keeping the skills competition for the NHL All-Star Weekend, and increase the current 5-minute overtime format to 10 minutes. With the scoring chances that are generated with the 4-on-4 overtime setup, a 10-minute OT period would almost certainly decide more games. Give the team winning the OT game an extra point and the losing team the same current sympathy point that they receive now for an overtime loss. If at the end of the 10-minute OT period the game is still tied, each team would receive one point for a tie. And BTW, though it is a rarity, the ultra-popular NFL has it’s games that are tied after their overtime period finish as ties.
But if a tie is, as many say, “Like kissing your sister”, and a winner needs to be determined in each game, why not let ‘em play until someone wins? We have seen Major League Baseball games go in excess of 20 innings until a winner is decided. The NBA, same thing. Play until someone wins.
One thing is certain. The National Hockey League needs to re-establish it’s integrity in the outcome of how games are decided when tied at the end of regulation time. And a novelty such as the shootout is not the answer.
David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia
There was nothing wrong with Ties, The Flyers were called the Tyers one year back in the 70s. Just make the OT 10 Minutes and that is it.
One fear I have is that they will end OT till a winner in the Playoffs, Nothing is more compelling than a OT game in the playoffs, especially a potential Deciding game, (My most memorable were Game 3 75 Rangers/Isles, 78 Game 7 1st round Isles/Maple Leafs (Boo), Game 6 Isles/Flyers 1980, Game 5 Isles/rangers-1984, Game 7 Isles Caps 1987? and most recent for me was game 6 Lightning/Flames to force a game-7)
With the Isles/Caps and Lightning/Flames would go to a Shootout if they ended unlimited OT
Dave,
great article. I must admit, I agree 100%. They need to rid of this shootout and leave it as a skills competition. No, it does not attract more fans, just because the game doesn’t carry on much further after a five minute OT. Yes OT is more exciting and more dramatic. It’s damn sudden death (in the playoffs).
Good stuff.
Larry, you were able to witness some amazing games during some amazing eras. Kudos to you! You were around during some of the most historical events to take place in hockey. Remember the Epic Easter game?
Excellent comments guys & GREAT examples about the need to get rid of the shootout and also keep playoff OT.
If they got rid of playoff OT, I think it would be the worst mistake since Fox’s GlowPuck back in the 90′s! haha I don’t think they will ever get rid of playoff OT. It is hands-down THE best watch in all of professional sports. Period…
I know the NHL GMs addressed the matter of ditching the shootout, along with the more pressing “head shots” issue, at their recent meetings in Boca Raton, FLA. What I’m hearing is that many NHL GMs are also in favor of the eradication of shootouts and have gone on record in saying so.
Keep your fingers crossed!
I completely agree 100% with you on this. All your examples and points made in this article are great. The shootout seems to take the whole team aspect away from the game. I say let em’ go 4 on 4 until someone wins. There is so much more ice that will generate more chances and fast paced action. In my opinion, that would be a lot more exciting/entertaining to watch then these dreaded shootouts.
It seems that teams that play well in the SO just end up playing safe to get there like teams used to play for the tie sometimes, so I don’t see how this makes the game better. I think OT til you win forces teams to actually try to win the game and not play it as safe, so it’s far more exciting.
Alex, TOTALLY agreed, and yesterday had to be the league’s worst nightmare. I mentioned about the shootout points determining whether teams make / do not make the playoffs, and a shootout in yesterday’s Flyers-Rangers game determined each team’s entire seasons!
I do not believe the gimmick was intended to have such an impact on a team game the way it has…
I have disliked the Rangers for years, but I don’t feel they got a fair shake yesterday. A situation where you actually had to win the game would have been a justifiable end for such an important game.
I believe this game yesterday will force the league’s hand to make the change, pretty much the way that Brett Hull’s Stanley Cup winning OT goal in the ’99 Finals forced the modification of crease rules.
Let’s hope sanity will finally prevail.
One thing I don’t like is the difference between regular season and postseason rules. It seems they already know that the shootout is a bag job and that is why they scrap it in the playoffs. It makes no sense to me.
I agree with the other post that states teams that excel in the shootout play it safe in OT.
I am fine with a Tie game rather than shootout for the reason that a tie game more fairly represents the actual outcome then a breakaway competition after 65 minutes. OT should be at least 10 minutes then tie if no score in my opinion.