USHL to officially introduce seven-minute overtime sessions that end with three-on-three play for 2015-16

By @MichaelCaples –

The United States Hockey League announced today a few overtime rule changes that should catch the attention of anyone upset with how extra hockey currently plays out across our various leagues.

The USHL has approved overtime rules changes that introduce both a seven-minute extra hockey session in the regular season, and three-on-three action to conclude the overtime period if necessary.

For USHL regular-season games that go to overtime, these bullet points will go into effect:

• During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be seven minutes (7:00) in length.
• Full playing strength will be 4-on-4 until the first whistle following three minutes of play (4:00 remaining), at which full strength will be reduced to 3-on-3 for the duration of the overtime period.
• If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.

“Working with the owners and general managers who make up the USHL Competition Committee, we proposed the new overtime rules because it is a more competitive format to decide the outcome of games,” said Adam Micheletti, Senior Director of Hockey Operations for the United States Hockey League. “The NHL has utilized our league as a testing ground for the implementation of rule changes in the past, and I suspect they’ll be keeping a close eye on how this format performs in the USHL.”

The USHL tested three-on-three OT play during the 2013 and 2014 preseasons.