The word shootout conjures up terrible memories for most Canadian hockey fans. The shattered Olympic dreams of 1994 and ’98 still haunt patriotic puck lovers, and the prospects of shootouts still cause even the calmest of fans’ blood to begin to boil.
It is not surprising, then, that the NHL’s decision to use three player penalty shootouts to decide the outcome of tie games was met with great hostility. The shootout’s validity in the most sacred of Canadian team sports has become the most controversial of the many rules implemented in the NHL this season.
One month into the season, attendance across the league is at an all-time high. An average of almost 17,000 fans a game have filled arenas to 91.2 per cent capacity during the month of October and highlight reels across the continent have been filled with dazzling goals and mind-boggling saves. Yet, hockey purists have continued to raise red flags at the idea of the penalty shot playing a permanent role and important role in the game.
To these fans, hockey is a team sport, and many fans feel deciding the game with a showdown of individual talent is unfair and lessens the integrity of the game. What these fans fail to realize is that the shootout has been good for the game and it has helped revitalize fan support following the league’s one-year absence
The reason behind large attendance increases in markets such as Carolina and Nashville is the exciting new version of the NHL has given people a reason to watch. None of the new rules have added more excitement to the game than the penalty shootout.
The concept of pitting the top three forwards from the two different teams and allowing them to participate in a series of penalty shots has created a palpable buzz in every arena it’s been tested in. League officials have realized the key to selling the game is showcasing the talent of it’s stars, and penalty shootouts offer fans the opportunity to see hockey’s brightest lights doing what they do best on the biggest stage possible.
A recent game between two of hockey’s less revered franchises illustrated the importance of the shootout in the new era of the NHL.
The Oct. 28 game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild ended in a 1-1 tie. Two years ago, this would have drawn little more than a yawn from hockey fans, as it epitomized the low-scoring, low excitement league the NHL had become.
However, this season, fans were treated to a remarkable finish in the game, as five rounds of shooters challenged the goaltenders before Columbus emerged victorious. The shootout, which was shown live on the NHL network, left fans wanting more and generated a buzz that has never been seen before following an early season game between these teams.
Of the four major North American professional sports, hockey was the only one in which ties were a common occurrence in regular season games. The lack of a clear winner in many games over the course of the long 82 game season was frustrating to less passionate hockey fans. With the advent of the shootout, every game produces a winner, and at least some of the fans go home happy.
It is possible some fans may never embrace the idea of a shootout to decide otherwise forgetful regular season NHL games. This being said, the rest of us should just enjoy the ride and watch shootouts open the game up to new audiences and highlight the talent behind the world’s greatest game.