NHL's new 3-on-3 OT format is getting mixed reviews

A couple weeks into the hockey season, players and coaches—heck, fans watching the games—are still getting accustomed to the new three-on-three overtime format that the NHL has implemented.

Some have liked it so far. Others are less than impressed.

The latter refers to members of the Winnipeg Jets, who were reportedly open with their dislike for the new format after suffering a 4-3 OT loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last week. More specifically, vocal Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who called it “terrible.”

“It ain’t hockey. It’s ‘Just let the kids play.’ It’s stupid,” Byfuglien reportedly said to the Winnipeg Free Press. "Just keep it four-on-four, five-on-five. Let’s just play hockey."

That seems a bit extreme. Perhaps he was a little extra edgy because his team was on the losing end?

Jets’ forward Bryan Little was a bit more diplomatic in his response to the play format.

"It’s just trying to get used to it at this level and trying to play it," he reportedly said. "I’d rather see it settled in five-on-five like a normal game, but you can’t be playing an extra five-on-five for 10 or 20 minutes. You’ve got to cap it some time.”

It could be just that—that players just need more time getting used to the new rule. It's understandable, given that cutting down to three-on-three creates more of an offensive rush on both sides of the ice.

The new format has also arguably made overtime play faster and more fun to watch from a viewer’s perspective. Puck Drunk Love summarized the excitement it creates:

"You can’t look away because at any time something exciting can happen. In three-on-three, that’s when the wheels come off and the real show happens and the NHL is all the better for it."

Granted, three-on-three does cut down on defense, which would explain why a d-man such as Byfuglien might not like it so much. However that has the potential to change, as Allan Muir of SI.com explained:

"Given time, it’s a safe bet that NHL coaching staffs will find a way to suck the fun out of it by clamping down defensively, just as they have with every other innovation geared toward ramping up scoring."

Clearly the format is still in its infancy, being that the regular season hasn't even been going for a full month yet. With more time and adjusting, could the three-on-three be something that players and coaches will grow to like more?

"It’s a tough way to lose but the shootout is an even worse way to lose,” Little reportedly said. “I’m not a fan of it today but maybe when we get a couple of wins I’ll like it a little more."