CCHA will have the Shoot out...

I think this is a step in the right decision I just hope the buffoons that run the WCHA follow suit soon. I don't care what the hockey purest say. Also, I think it is a way to make the games a little more exciting. I find ties boring and love when the NHL regular season games go to a shoot out, just another element to the game. Obviously, this is not a good way to decide a playoff games and rightfully playoff games will still be played in sudden death like the NHL is.

There will be a few hockey puriests that are going to say that this will ruin the college hockey and they will no longer watch the game any more; fine... Have fun watching basket brawl or some other exciting sport. This rule change WILL NOT ruin the college game and it will actually make it better and the shoot out has been a huge success already in the NHL. It has been going on for three seasons while some have complained the fans have embraced it. I also believe this is a good way to decide a winner. Also, rightfully so the shoot out will not affect the PWR rankings and SOL will still count as a tie. So the so called purests will still have their sister kissing tie.

Shootouts will be used to break ties in the CCHA next season.
Aug. 14, 2008
Farmington Hills, Michigan - The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that an NHL style three-player shootout will be used in the 2008-09 season to determine a winner for all of the 168 regular-season conference games that are tied after 60 minutes of regulation play and five minutes of overtime.

"The shootout has proved to be an exciting addition to hockey at a variety of levels and we are anxious to bring it into college hockey. The drama it creates is very popular with fans, and importantly, today's players love it," stated CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos, whose conference becomes the first of college hockey's six Division I men's leagues to adopt the shootout. "At the same time, the NCAA rules and ice hockey committees have allowed us to implement this tie-breaker protocol so that every regular-season league game will have a winner while preserving the integrity of the national rankings because CCHA games decided by a shootout will still be considered ties for NCAA purposes. Bonus points awarded will impact the conference standings only."

The shootout concept has been enthusiastically endorsed by Greg Hammaren, the Vice President and General Manager of FSN Detroit, which will televise 17 CCHA regular-season and playoff games in 2008-09.

"This is a bold decision and I think it's a great one," said Hammaren. "College hockey is already one of the most exciting sports in America, adding the shootout just adds to the excitement."

The CCHA has also approved the following point system for regular-season play; Two (2) points for a win in regulation or overtime, one (1) point for each school if the game is tied at the conclusion of the five-minute overtime period and one (1) point is awarded to the team who wins the shootout.