Article by
Mike McMahon on the 3 on 3 overtime. I've never been a fan of it. I wish they would have kept it 5 on 5.
Years ago when the NCAA Hockey Rules Committee first started discussing changing overtime there were several threads created (see
Rule's Committee Recommends 4 on 4 OT, RPI to adjust for OT losses and
Rule Changes: Who got screwed and wants a fix? thread and the Women's Forum
NCAA Committee Recommends Change To Overtime In 2016-17 thread). At the time I created a quick spreadsheet showing the number of regular season games; OT games; OT games won; and OT games lost. I have updated it with the past four seasons:
[TABLE="width: 657"]
[TR]
[TD]
Season[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
RS games[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
OT games[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
won[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
tied[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
% OT games[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
% won[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63"]
% tied[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1975-76[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
582[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
65[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
46[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
19[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
11.17%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
70.77%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
29.23%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"]
includes 2 multiple OT games counted as ties[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1984-85[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
876[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
115[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
79[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
36[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
13.13%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
68.70%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
31.30%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"]
includes 4 multiple OT games counted as ties[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1986-87[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
897[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
104[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
78[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
26[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
11.59%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
75.00%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
25.00%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1987-88[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
924[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
105[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
59[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
46[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
11.36%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
56.19%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
43.81%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"]
includes 2 multiple OT games counted as ties[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]
1988-89
ex/CCHA[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
714[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
92[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
56[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
36[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
12.89%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
60.87%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
39.13%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"]
includes 5 multiple OT games counted as ties[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]
1988-89
CCHA[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
144[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
29[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
12[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
17[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
20.14%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
41.38%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
58.62%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]
1988-89[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
858[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
121[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
68[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
53[/TD]
[TD="class: xl67, align: right"]
14.10%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
56.20%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
43.80%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl66"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1998-99[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
922[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
144[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
55[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
89[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
15.62%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
38.19%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
61.81%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]
2008-09[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
990[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
205[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
76[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, align: right"]
129[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
20.71%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
37.07%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
62.93%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2012-13[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1002[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
196[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
62[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
134[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
19.56%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
31.63%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
68.37%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2013-14[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1003[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
168[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
55[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
113[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
16.75%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
32.74%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
67.26%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2014-15[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1002[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
190[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
78[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
112[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
18.96%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
41.05%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
58.95%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2015-16[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1021[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
219[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
78[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
141[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
21.45%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
35.62%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
64.38%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2016-17[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1018[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
186[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
58[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
128[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
18.27%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
31.18%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
68.82%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2017-18[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1016[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
189[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
72[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
117[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
18.60%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
38.10%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
61.90%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl68"]
2018-19[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1015[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
214[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
106[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
108[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
21.08%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
49.53%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
50.47%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl68"]
2019-20[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1017[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
199[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
74[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
125[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
19.57%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
37.19%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
62.81%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]
Start of 3x3[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl68"]
2020-21[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
599[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
113[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
70[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
43[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
18.86%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
61.95%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
38.05%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl68"]
2021-22[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
503[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
95[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
58[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
37[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
18.89%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
61.05%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
38.95%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl64"] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
Average[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
16103[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
2749[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1240[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
1509[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
17.07%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
45.11%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]
54.89%[/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[TD] [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
As can be seen, in 2018-19 the number of OT games that ended in a win rose to almost 50%, but fell back in 2019-20. So far under the current 3x3 overtime rules the number of wins has vs ties has flipped and now over 60% of OT games end with a win. You can argue whether or not 3x3 is real hockey, or fun to watch or whatever, but to date it has done what it was intended to do.
I never saw a need to change from the old 10 minute overtimes, but that ship sailed decades ago. As for 3x3, I think it is terrible and not real hockey. If it is why not play all 60 minutes 3x3? Or at the very least, all postseason overtimes 3x3? If you can't support 3x3 play for either of these situations than you really don't have a very strong argument for changing the rules for regulation OT.
Edit: 1988-89 was the last season with 10 minute overtimes, except for CCHA league games which used 5 minute overtimes. The percentage of overtime games with a winner in those 10 minute OTs (60.87%) was nearly the same as the percentage of 5 minute 3x3 overtimes the past 2 seasons (61.54%).
Sean