Ask NHL fans what the best part of any overtime regular season game is and the verdict is usually the five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime play.
Non-stop line rushes, end-to-end action, 3-on-2s, 2-on-1s, acrobatic saves, and a frenetic pace are showcased in most overtime periods.
It is hockey at its finest, and while challenging to maintain the pace for a full 60 minutes, it begs the question: Should the NHL move to full time 4-on-4 play in regulation?
I say yes for the following five reasons.
1. Precedent Exists
The NHL passed on its opportunity beginning in the 1980s to move the game onto Olympic-sized ice.
Dozens of NHL rinks have been built since that time and the ice dimensions went unchanged. Since the 1980s, players are much larger on average, and teams play a much more structured game than before.
This leads to larger players playing in a relatively confined space under rigid systems. Reducing the number of players on the ice is not without precedent. Originally, the game was played with seven players on each team.
This went unchanged until the 192 ...
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Article written by James Onusko
NHL Moving to 4 on 4 in Regulation: A Dream or a Nightmare?
March 19th, 2013 by James Onusko Leave a reply »
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