TAKING SHOTS

Mario Russo

Ah the year 2005. A 12-month snapshot of what the world would soon become. An era that forever changed the way we live. Cell phones were on the rise, Ipod Shuffles blasted Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” until it became cemented atop the Billboard charts. And for the first (and last) time, baggy pants were welcomed with open arms across the western world.

Yet in the sporting world, no amount of baggy clothes or punk rock could amount to the popularity surrounding the National Hockey League. Following the lockout season that swept away 04-05, the league introduced a system that extinguished all regular season games from ending in a tie score; a practice that was adopted as the ‘shootout’

The league’s beloved idea was foolproof - or so it seemed- as fans were now guaranteed to walk out of the arena feeling some sort of emotion other than the weariness and dissatisfaction of a 0-0 tie. Regardless of the score, if either team failed to take the lead before the end of overtime, both sides would play a shootout.

The rest of the league’s idea is well, history as since then, teams and fan bases alike have earned some form of emotion from determining a forced winner. And that is exactly where both parties seem to disagree on the future and longevity of the shootout; why does the outcome have to be forced?

Preceding the shootout in today’s game remains a five-minute stretch of 3-on-3 overtime. This fascinating period of hockey is arguably one of sport’s most entertaining spectacles when factoring both the clutch performances by the players, and the wide-open surface they have to do it on.

Breathless back-and-forth action has been the driving force in questioning the future of what once was the league’s idea of adding spice. Being one-on-one with the goaltender is the closest facet of the game that can result in a goal. Coincidentally, it is also one of the few situations that can be controlled and applied fairly to both the shooter and goalie. No odd-man rushes. No post-to-post saves. Just a continuous set of players looking to give their side the edge on the same grounds.

Nowadays, people don’t like when things are forced. Fans don't enjoy riding a rollercoaster that gets stuck before the drop. Ever since three-on-three overtime was introduced in 2015, it feels as though the shootout became the final period of a sentence rather than the exclamation point it was sought out to be.

The shootout is dull, and a lot of people seem to agree. These same individuals however, are always unable to come up with a feasible alternative that still hits on what the shootout guarantees every time a player hits center ice: a winner.

Extending overtime would make hockey fans around the world salivate at the potential great moments that today’s players could find themselves in with the help of a few more minutes. Stretch the period too far however, and the players association will turn it down faster than fans power off their televisions following the end of overtime.

There are very few guarantees in hockey, maybe even none if you cheer for any other team outside the GTA. The shootout is the only segment that no matter how it plays out, one side will be relieved rather than both sides being displeased while eyeing down a tied final score. Nobody wins if a team doesn't win, and as dull as it may be, the shootout prioritizes these ideals through every shot and deke.

What follows overtime will more than likely be the game’s tie-breaker for the next several years, yet that doesn't mean the league shouldn't think of ways to compromise with the demands of their beloved supporters. People’s attention spans are withering away annually, with every new generation demanding a faster, more efficient system to cater towards their emotions.

The shootout is here to stay, but for how much longer. No longer is it an “if” but merely a “when.” At what point does the novel 2005 idea follow its generational counterparts? Ipod Shuffles are obsolete. Wearing baggy pants can make for a funny Halloween costume nowadays. Mariah Carey is only remembered over the Christmas holidays. What once was, is no longer what is.

“When” will the shootout be shot out?