Lightning Coach John Cooper Wants To Add Two Minutes To Overtime And It's A Brilliant Idea

PublishedMarch 27, 2024 5:49 PM EDT|UpdatedMarch 27, 2024 5:49 PM EDT

The shootout came into the NHL following the 2004-05 lockout and at the time I liked the idea of not having ties.

I still like that idea, but I don't like how we get there.

Count me as one of the people who would like to see the shootout go the way of the dodo, and you can put Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss John Cooper on that side too.

Although, instead of just complaining about it like I do, Cooper has a fix that he thinks will reduce the number of shootouts.

"Gary, hopefully, you're not listening, but if I was going to do something I would just add two minutes to it," Cooper said in an appearance on The Jeff Marek Show, per Sportsnet. "I don't think the overtime is broken. I think once that first shot happens, it just takes one odd-man rush to trigger four more."

I think this is a great idea. I bet you'd see the number of games decided in shootouts freefall with an extra two minutes of three-on-three overtime. Just like Cooper said, it just takes one shot to lead to an odd-man rush the other way.

Then, as dudes get tired and play gets a little sloppier, someone will find the back of the net.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Cooper had some thoughts about overtime in the NHL. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

Cooper also touched on teams regrouping in their own zone OT. That's the preferred strategy these days and it bugs some people. There were even discussions about doing away with it that didn't pan out at some recent league meetings.

However, Cooper pointed out that while it may feel like it slows down overtime, it can also generate offense.

"Yes, sometimes there's some regrouping and sometimes, I get it, the guys are running around in the end zone and stuff like that, but the regroup is the actual thing that triggers the rushes," he said.

"You can entice bad changes. There's so many things that can happen. But when the guys keep it in the zone the whole time, it's actually really hard to generate any offense."