NHLPA concerned about potential 'wear and tear' of 3-on-3 overtime
The National Hockey League Players' Association is worried about the physical toll of a potential 3-on-3 overtime period.
"My real concern is that top guys are going to be put in these situations, and there will be more wear and tear on them," Mathieu Schneider, an executive with the NHLPA told Kevin Allen of USA TODAY Sports.
The crux of Schneider's concern seems somewhat limited, seeing as how the top players are already the ones generally called upon in the extra frame.
The NHL's feeder system, the American Hockey League, plays up to two minutes of extra OT compared to the NHL's current format, including a 3-on-3 portion, which works out to roughly one additional shift.
"We've seen over the years that rules that are implemented in leagues below and they don't always have the intended effect when we bring them to the NHL because the players are more consistent and more talented," Schneider said. "I'm not sure we would see the same results at the NHL level."
The NHL has kept a close watch on the AHL, which has shown a significant decrease in shootouts as a result of utilizing 3-on-3.