Randy May wrote:
 
> That's my point...why have 20 minute OT's when it's just a measly regular
> season game? In no other college sport does a timing differential come into
> play because of some holiday or otherwise tourney. It's not a big deal...but
> it doesn't make any sense.
 
The comparison to any other college sport is senseless; to the best of my
knowledge, none of the other sports have to worry about ties interfering with a
tournament.  Basketball games are always timed the same because they are always
played until someone's ahead after an OT period.  Before its current OT format,
football never worried about it because they don't play tournaments.  Timing
variations are essential in hockey because some games are played until there is a
winner and others aren't.  The NCAA has rules for how games that are played until
there is a winner shall be played.  It's kind of arbitrary, but then so is the
NCAA mandate that all non-OT periods are 20 minutes long, even though we don't
argue about it.  The Icebreaker Tournament can't decide that it wants to play four
15-minute periods instead, either.
 
> The way I see it, conferences/tourneys have some gray area in which to work
> with. I am convinced of this as of now. No one is going to dispute/take away
> any losses victories at the Icebreaker even if the tourney DEMANDED (no proof)
> that an :05 precede a :20 minute OT. What would the NCAA do if they played an
> :05, and then a :20, and one team scored more than 15:00 into the 20:00 OT?
> That would be interesting.
 
They'd call it a win for the team that scored.  Just as they would do if the team
scored in less than 15 minutes, more than thirty minutes or some time next week.
 
> Case in point, what about Hockey Easts way of settling ties in recent years
> with a shootout? The shootout win does not count for NCAA's but it comes into
> play a little anyway. This is why I believe that mighty-money making
> tournaments could simply (if they wanted to, but no apparent reason for it)
> time the game that way (:05; 20:00) and no one would make a big fuss. It
> should be that way anyway.
 
I have no idea why you say it should be that way anyways.  As a fan, if we're
going to go to a period break and a 20-minute period, I'd just as soon go straight
to it.  But as I understand it, the NCAA rule is more recent than the HE
shootouts.  It now takes precedence.  Either that, or HE got an exemption to try
the shhotout.  I suppose the Icebreaker could ask to get an exemption, but I
rather doubt that they did so.
 
J. Michael Neal
 
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