For about seven years now the NHL has used a post game shootout to determine the outcome of tie games. And for the most past hockey purist, players, coaches and initial doubters have never really latched onto the idea of having a skill competition event determine the outcome of a regular season hockey game.
Players who are against the shootout may have a window to try to get the rule the changed during the upcoming CBA negotiations however commissioner Gary Bettman makes it sound like the shootout is here to say.
“All the research that we do on a regular basis tells us overwhelmingly our fans like the shootout,” Bettman said glowingly during All-Star weekend in Ottawa. “We’re looking at numbers in the 70 and 80 percent approval range, which on any question is an extraordinarily high number. Anecdotally, I try to go to a game at least once in every building, and when you see an overtime game that goes to the shootout, the reaction in the building is sensational. Everybody’s on their feet.”
Initially the plans for the shootout were drawn up eight years ago in an effort to try to draw fans back to the game when the lockout came to an end. And now that the NHL is 7 years outside the lockout many believe it’s time to do away with one of the league’s flotation devices.
However it seems that fans and hockey purist are making too big of a deal out of the situation.
Yes it is a skills competition event but to compare it to a home run derby or slam dunk contest is ridiculous. A shootout has been used to determine the outcome in international hockey games, including the Olympics for decades. Not to mention it’s always been part of the game in a sense when we see the rare penalty shot.
Lets also be honest, the shootout is an exciting aspect of the game that has really become part of the game.
What could be better than seeing a team’s group of top players going one-on-one with the opposing teams goaltender? Sure the league can go back the old point system and re-introduce ties. But who wants to see a tie game? Especially considering 164 of 735 games this season have been tied after three periods.
There also doesn’t seem to be a viable solution to determine a winner at the end of an overtime period. The league simply cannot have a traditional sudden death that we see during the playoffs in the regular season given the higher probability of injuries and the potential time it could take up.
Even though I don’t buy Gary Bettman’s numbers in terms of the number of fans that like the shootout I still believe the majority of NHL fans actually like the shootout. And when it all comes down to it, it is about the fans and keeping them interested. Ties at the end of games don’t keep most fans interested.
Ref: Associated Press, SI.com, STATS,
