Shootouts in the NHL might be changing in the near future. Doug Armstrong, GM of the St. Louis Blues, proposed altering the shootout to follow the rules currently used in international hockey. The new rules would allow a team to use any shooter they would like – even if that means using the same shooter over and over again – should the shootout last beyond the first three rounds.
Armstrong’s comments, as seen from Pierre LeBrun, point to T.J. Oshie’s shootout performance in the Sochi Olympics and how that level of excitement could benefit the shootout in the NHL. The dramatic shootout, which featured Oshie and Ilya Kovalchuk going back and forth until there was an ultimate winner, was one of the biggest highlights of the Olympics. Some of that excitement could come to the NHL should the change gain approval.
One other GM pointed out that fans would enjoy seeing the team’s best take multiple attempts rather than lower players on the roster.
As another GM said, why do fans want to see seventh defenseman or 13th forward take a shootout attempt when the shootouts go long? Why not put your best players in the spotlight for the whole shootout?
For every Marek Malik situation, there are dozens of games where the shootout attempts get pretty sloppy past the first few shooters. As fun and unexpected as the Malik goal was, the overall formula of the shootout could benefit greatly from the international rules.
The proposed change will be discussed by the league’s GMs in March.
