By @MichaelCaples –
The NCAA announced today that its Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee has approved a standardized overtime format for all regular-season games and in-season tournaments starting next season.
Per the release:
“When a game remains tied after regulation time, teams will play five-on-five for five minutes to determine a winner. If neither team scores, the result will be a tie. No other options, including alternative formats for points in conference standings, will be permitted.
This change makes all games consistent and removes several overtime options from the rules book.”
All rule changes must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which will review hockey rules during a July 25 teleconference.
“While differing opinions were expressed, at the end of the day the committee strongly endorsed a single overtime option, cleaning up the book and affirming the belief that hockey is played, for the most part, in a five-on-five format,” said Joe Bertagna, Hockey East Association commissioner and chair of the committee. “While the time might come where college hockey will employ a reduced manpower overtime, the prevailing voices on the committee did not see that time as now.”
Western Michigan’s National Collegiate Hockey Conference released the following on Twitter:
Statement from #NCHCHockey regarding the @NCAAIceHockey overtime rules change announced today pic.twitter.com/W7uC8uUhZe
— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) June 14, 2018