Awesome idea
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- September
- 20
I was thinking about all this debate and hype about Suffern, and it got me thinking about the state semifinal game against Ithaca  the controversy over the Nick Clark goal in the first overtime that was waved off, the shootout, etc. Everyone agrees that a shootout is a pretty poor way to decide an important game, so I’ve come up with an alternative that I think is going to revolutionize hockey.
The obvious problem with long scoreless games in the semifinals is that if you don’t eventually stop it, the winner will be too tired to play in the final the next day. But instead of doing four overtimes and then going to a shootout, they should start removing players from the ice in the third overtime. Play 4-on-4, then 3-on-3, 2-on-2, and finally 1-on-1 (not counting goalies).
Then my original plan called for just the goalies to play each other. You start them off crouched down inside their own nets, behind the goal line, put the puck at center ice, back away, and blow the whistle. They both come charging out and you sit back and enjoy the most entertaining 30 seconds of hockey action you’ve ever seen.
Then it occured to me that neither goalie would move from in front of their goals, because they would be less worried about a fellow goalie beating them 1-on-1 than about the other guy chucking a lucky one into the empty net. So you would have to start them off at center ice and not allow them to enter either crease. Or it would have to be two regular players with no goalies. But I really like the 1-on-1 goalie idea.
THEN I got an even better one. Make the overtime periods four minutes long, and instead of decreasing the number of players, increase the number of pucks. Two pucks in the third overtime, three pucks in the fourth overtime. By the sixth OT the goalie won’t know where it’s coming from. Hilarious.
As you can tell, I’m not really in hockey mode at the moment – not in any serious way at least. For me, the season is still pretty far off. I’ve got volleyball to worry about.
But I was wondering what goes on in the fall. I’m pretty ignorant of the schedules of travel teams and all that. Anybody know what’s going on these days, if anything?
This entry was posted
on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 4:27 pm by Daniel Kiernan. 
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Dan,
Check out some of the “stars” of Suffern, they are playing for their Midget team @SOR 8:50, Friday 9/21
Dan, there was a squirt tournament at West Point where the overtime was played 4 on 4 and no goalies. Needless to say it ended quickly
u start at out 5on 5 then you go to four on after the thrid overtime then 3 on 3 after the fourth overtime
Wait, I was just goofing around…people actually do that? I guess it is a good idea. What about the multiple pucks? That’s my favorite. Referee drops a stack of pucks at every face-off…classic.
The NHL regular season overtimes are played 4 on 4 before they go to a shoot out.
The fact that 2 HS teams played a semi final game to a draw after 4 OT’s is a credit to both teams. Its unfortunate that a game of such importance is decided by a shootout but after 4 OT’s its not unreasonable. Not sure that 3 on 3 is hockey either.
No great solution to this one.
should keep playin till someone nets one..no shootouts, not player reductions..play til someone scores….unless your suffern, cause apparently you have to score twice in OT to win
Dan
Many travel tourns. play 5 on 5 to start ot then 4 on 4 and so on, once saw a tourn come down to 2 on 2 it was great.
Sudden Death, you got that right and I think being down state has a little something to do with it.
In OT, remove the refs and put all 3 lines on the ice at the same time. 15 vs 15. 1st goal wins.
I’d pay to see that.
I still like the goalie vs. goalie.. could you imagine how great the sprint from the net to center ice would be!!!??? now that would be entertaining..!!!! on your mark, get set GO!!!!!!
Sufferin’ Succotash Dan
The multiple pucks idea is wild…. many youth tournaments do the decreasing numbers thing, since they have to hold to a schedule….
As for travel Dan, you could stop off at any of the rinks (Brewster, Sporto in particular) and spend the entire weekend watching hockey….. from mites to juniors.
Travel schedules are typically 2x/week practice, 2 games a weekend.
Tier 1 programs never really stop (spring/summer teams), but they get serious again in mid-August. Those programs travel a much wider circle to get competition (ie, LI, NJ, Boston, Syracuse, Philly, Chicago, Ontario etc)
Tier 2/3 programs usually get going right after labor day. Not as much travel, but several hundred miles a week on the car is not out of the ordinary.
Travel hockey is a world unto itself.