Shootouts have become a fabric of the NHL since they were implemented 20 years ago

After 5,729 ties in the NHL’s first 87 seasons, a controversial change was made in 2005 to eliminate what many considered to be a relic of a bygone era of the tradition-heavy sport. In the past 20 years since, 2,486 games have gone to a shootout. Fans love the format, which is a mainstay in international compeititions like the Winter Olympics.

An entire generation of players and fans have never seen a tie in an NHL game, just the 1-on-1 competition for a minimum of three rounds to ensure one side goes home with a win and the other with a loss. It is part of the fabric of hockey.

“It was a big transition,” said Erik Christensen, the most successful shootout specialist in league history with goals on more than half his attempts. “I think if you’re a true hockey fan, you can be happy with a great game that ends in a 2-2 tie. But we’re in the entertainment industry, and people want to walk out of there seeing a winner and a loser.”

Fewer games are ending in a shootout than ever before

For the first decade of the shootout era, if the score was tied after the third period there was a 4-on-4 overtime period and, if no one scored, the shootout itself. At its high-water mark in 2009-10, 15% of all games reached a shootout, which was not the intent.

The advent of 3-on-3 OT in 2015-16 cut that number nearly in half. Last season, a record low 5.9% of games went to shootouts.

“I’m glad the NHL has moved away from that, where I think the game should be more won with more of what hockey is,” Christensen said. “I like the way the game is played now with the 3 on 3 and deciding games that way.”

When there are shootouts, a lot of the moves and saves end up on highlight reels. Crowds feel like they get their money's worth.

“The first couple of years, guys were going straight down — typical breakaway — and now they’re showcasing their skill a lot more,” said Hall of Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, whose 61 shootout victories rank second all time. “They’re way more creative today than they were 15 years ago."

Points earned in the shootout can make a difference

Lundqvist was on the losing end of a shootout with the New York Rangers on the final day of the 2009-10 season when the winner made the playoffs. Brian Boucher and Philadelphia came out on top to get in and went on a run to the Stanley Cup Final.

The NHL's point format gives one apiece to each team when a game goes past regulation. An extra point is earned for winning in overtime or a shootout, and those can add up.

“In the end, that could be the difference,” said Lundqvist, now a TNT analyst. “They are big points. They really are. And maybe you don’t feel them being that big early on in the season, but going down the stretch, you definitely feel that pressure and that’s exciting.”

The result in the moment can also provide a huge emotional swing. Ottawa's Linus Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender in 2023 with Boston, has a love/hate relationship with the shootout for that very reason.

“When you go out there and you actually manage to save all three of them and you win in a shootout, you feel like the best,” Ullmark said. “You go out there and you let it in three, and then you feel like you’re the worst goalie ever. That’s just how it is.”

Martin Brodeur, whose 691 wins are the most of any goalie, feels the same way.

"As a goalie or as a team you can play a hell of a game and get a loss so the next day’s mood is everybody’s mad because we lost,” Brodeur said. “But we lost a skills competition, so I was never a big fan of it.”

Shooters feel stress just like goalies do

Pierre-Luc Dubois will never forget his first NHL shootout with Columbus, when coach John Tortorella asked him if he was any good at it.

“I said no, and then he said, ‘OK, well, you’re going,’” Dubois recalled. “When you score, it’s fun. When you don’t, that skate from the net to the bench, especially when it’s far, it’s just not fun and you know everybody’s staring at you like, ‘Oh look at this guy.’ The highs are very high, and the lows are very low and lonely."

Not everyone can be as good as Christensen, who scored on 52.7% of his shots and may have prolonged his career because of it. Patrick Kane has the most shootout goals with 53 — and counting — followed by Jonathan Toews with 52.

Others don't necessarily feel that pressure, perhaps because they're not getting tapped on the shoulder with the game on the line.

“I suck at it, so I don’t really go,” Carolina's Seth Jarvis said. “But I do think it’s fun. Obviously there’s probably better ways to end a game, but for me I think it’s just exciting. I think that it brings a different aspect that people don’t always see.”

AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed.

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