Olympic hockey overtime rules mean 5-on-5 isn't played, changing entire scope of gold medal game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There will be many who don't like this.
It's overtime in the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics between the United States and Canada. And it's 3-on-3.
Hockey is played in regulation with five skaters on each side.
In OT, it's three skaters on each side.
That's how it works during the NHL regular season in overtime, and it's how it has worked for these entire Olympics.
It changes the entire game.
MORE: Matt Boldy's Olympic goal was the stuff of legend
Why isn't OT 5-on-5?
The simple reason that hockey leagues remove players from the ice in overtime is to create more chances.
More space leads to more goals, and usually the game ends quicker in 3-on-3 than in 5-on-5.
But that isn't always what everyone wants.
MORE: Eileen Gu responds to hate only way she knows how
Should Olympics overtime be 5-on-5?
Many think that it should remain 5-on-5.
Remember that gold medal game in 2010 that Sidney Crosby won for Canada over the USA? That was 4-on-4, splitting the difference.
It retains the traditional format of hockey and keeps the rhythm of the game the way it was going in regulation.
Changing things to 3-on-3 changes everything. It's wide open, fast and extra tough for goalies.
Whichever country loses will surely wish it had stayed at 5-on-5.
More Olympics news:
- This U.S. luge star was parodied on SNL
- Mikaela Shiffrin just broke the Olympics
- Megan Keller's childhood dreams culminate in a dream come true
- U.S. women's hockey star's brothers go viral at Olympics
- Controversy and cursing with Canada curling
- A dog stole the show at the finish line of cross country skiing