Jon Cooper is blaming the Olympic overtime rules for Canada’s loss to the United States.
Unlike the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where the overtime period is five-on-five, the Olympics use a three-on-three format. This is designed to make overtime periods quicker and reduce shootouts. It’s also used in the NHL regular season.
“You take four players off the ice, now hockey’s not hockey anymore,” Cooper said, via The Hockey News. ”There’s a reason overtime and shootouts are in play — it’s all TV-driven to end games, so it’s not a long time. There’s a reason why it’s not in the Stanley Cup final or playoffs.”
Canada defeated the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off in overtime under the five-on-five rules. Connor McDavid buried a game-winning goal due to a defensive mistake in the game last year.
But on Sunday in Milan, Canada was on the opposite side of an overtime winner. The U.S.’ Jack Hughes slotted one home to give the Americans the gold medal in a 2-1 win.
Hughes’ goal came 1:41 into 3-on-3 play after the Canadians had controlled most of the final two periods.
Canada had multiple chances to end it in regulation — and make the overtime rules irrelevant. But it only scored once via Cole Makar’s second-period strike. U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning NHL MVP, compiled a whopping 41 saves to guide the Americans to victory.
The U.S.’ gold medal marked its first since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
Hellebuyck and the Hughes brothers helped lead it there. Alongside Jack, who finished with four goals and three assists in the tournament, Quinn Hughes led all Americans with eight points. Quinn’s total marked the most of any defenseman in the tournament. Hellebuyck also led all goaltenders with a 95.6 percent save rate as the U.S. went 6-0 in Milan.
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For Canada, McDavid and Macklin Celebrini led all players with 13 and 10 points, respectively. McDavid also took home the Olympics MVP.
But none of that mattered, as the U.S. took gold.
The Americans’ two golds in hockey — the first coming from the women’s overtime thriller — helped propel them to second in gold medals. In the final medal tally, the U.S. had 12 golds, second to Norway’s 18.
