Photo credit: Bob Frid – Imagn Images.
Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane took to social media on Sunday to share his displeasure with the overtime format for the gold medal game at the Olympics.
It took 46 years, but the United States captured the gold medal today, defeating Team Canada, who were without captain Sidney Crosby once again, in overtime by a score of 2-1, with New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes scoring the winner less than two minutes into the extra frame.
“JACK HUGHES!!! GOLDEN GOAL!!! 🫡”
Evander Kane sounds off on Olympic overtime format for gold medal game
The overtime format for the Olympics has caused a bit of a stir among fans as it’s been three-on-three, just like it is in the regular season in the National Hockey League, but not just in the preliminary round, the playoff rounds too.
In the qualification playoff round, quarterfinals, semifinals and bronze medal games, if a game is tied after 60 minutes, it’ll be decided by a ten-minute three-on-three overtime period, while in the gold medal game, the time is increased to 20 minutes.
Looking back at 2010, when Sidney Crosby scored The Golden Goal or even in 2018 when Kirill Kaprizov’s winner helped the Olympic Athletes from Russia win gold, the overtime period was 20 minutes of four-on-four and it looks like some people would like the IIHF and IOC to revert back to the old format.
In a post on social media after Jack Hughes scored the winner, Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane shared his thoughts on the Olympic overtime format, saying that a gold medal game should never be decided at three-on-three, an opinion that many Canadian hockey fans probably share at this moment.
“3 on 3 should be never what determines a championship game.” Evander Kane said on X.
While it’s unlikely that the International Olympic Committee or International Ice Hockey Federation will go to five-on-five for overtime future gold medal games, mainly due to the fact they want the contest wrapped up before the closing ceremony gets underway, but perhaps there could be a compromise and four-on-four OT can be reintroduced as early as 2030, where the Winter Games will be held in the French Alps.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily