![Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Casey Mittelstadt (21) was denied a shootout goal by the skate of Ohio State Buckeyes goaltender Sean Romeo (30). ] AARON LAVINSKY ' aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/FPYGM3REAKE52I56JOHAERHJRQ.jpg?&w=1080)
Three-on-three overtime and shootouts will remain in men's and women's college hockey in 2018-19 after the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Thursday approved a proposal that would allow conferences to use one of two formats to award points in their standings after a mandatory five-minute, five-on-five sudden-death overtime period.
If a game remains tied after the five-on-five OT period, conferences can end a game in one of three ways:
** Declare the game a tie. This is what Hockey East, the ECAC and Atlantic Hockey used this past season.
** Go directly to a shootout. This is the model the Big Ten used in 2017-18.
** Play five minutes of three-on-three sudden-death overtime, then use a shootout if the score remains tied. This is the system that the NCHC and WCHA uses.
The Big Ten has yet to decide on its overtime/shootout format for the 2018-19 season. But if it was up to new Gophers coach Bob Motzko, the conference would add five minutes of three-on-three OT and then to go to a shootout if needed.
"I'm glad the NCAA went back to where they are now. Three-on-three in the regular season, I know the players enjoy it. They have a blast with it," said Motzko, who had experience with that format as St. Cloud State's coach during NCHC games. "... Fans and the players want to play it, and it is part of hockey now in almost every league. It should be there."
Motzko added that the Big Ten coaches will have a conference call in the next couple of weeks to determine the format that will be used. "I don't know the consensus of the coaches in our league, but we'll get to the bottom of it and see where it goes," Motzko said.