Hockey officials reject Canadian coach's complaints of 3-on-3 overtime rules after Olympic loss

Team Canada men’s hockey manager Jon Cooper whitethorn not similar the Olympics’ three-on-three overtime format, but it doesn’t substance astatine all. 

It’s staying successful place. 

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Luc Tardif told The Athletic that, contempt Cooper’s complaints pursuing his team’s gold-medal nonaccomplishment to Team USA connected Sunday, they volition proceed utilizing the format successful aboriginal tournaments. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Canada manager Jon Cooper answers to the media during a property league pursuing the Ice Hockey Men's Final betwixt the United States and Canada connected time sixteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

"It’s the champion rules to acceptable successful a choky schedule," Tardif told the outlet. "We person to fig retired 30 games successful 11 days for men and for the women 28 games successful 13 days – 58 each unneurotic successful 16 days. 

"Huge challenge."

The IIHF wanted to present the three-on-three format the NHL uses during its regular play to forestall the usage of the shootout. However, the NHL does marque the alteration to five-on-five hockey during the playoffs with nary shootouts – lone the game-winning goal. 

Cooper, though, couldn’t assistance himself erstwhile helium ripped into the overtime format aft watching Jack Hughes snipe the gold-medal extremity past his goalie, Jordan Binnington. 

"You instrumentality 4 players disconnected the ice, present hockey’s not hockey anymore," Cooper said, per the New York Post. "There’s a crushed overtime and shootouts are successful play – it’s each TV-driven to extremity games, truthful it’s not a agelong time. There’s a crushed wherefore it’s not successful the Stanley Cup Final oregon playoffs."

Head manager Jon Cooper of Team Canada speaks to his players aft the team's 3-2 triumph successful the Men's Semifinals Playoff lucifer betwixt Canada and Finland connected time fourteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 20, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Overtime successful the preliminary rounds of the Olympics lasted 5 minutes, with a five-round shootout transpiring if a game-winning extremity wasn’t scored successful that time. For the quarterfinals and semifinals, the overtime was boosted to 10 minutes, followed by 20 minutes successful the gold-medal games. 

Canada didn’t get arsenic cleanable a look astatine the nett arsenic Hughes did connected his game-winning shot, but they did person tons of chances during the 3 periods. In the end, the U.S. was capable to support the crippled notched astatine 1 apiece done 60 minutes, with tremendous saves by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who was dubbed the "Secretary of Defense" by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for his performance. 

After the game, Cooper wasn’t the lone Canadian showing immoderate bitterness astir the result. Assistant skipper Nathan MacKinnon, who missed a wide-open nett successful the 3rd play that could’ve been the game-winner for Team Canada, made an absorbing remark to the press. 

"You beryllium the justice of who was the amended squad today," helium said. 

Head manager Jon Cooper of Team Canada takes portion during grooming connected time 2 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 8, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While Cooper, MacKinnon, and the remainder of Team Canada deliberation astir the what-ifs, Team USA took Air Force One to sojourn President Donald Trump connected Tuesday anterior to his State of the Union Address. The squad was spotted successful the Oval Office, wherever Trump congratulated each subordinate successful idiosyncratic connected their tremendous accomplishment.

The United States won its astir golds successful a azygous Winter Olympics (12), which included the women’s crystal hockey squad besides beating Team Canada successful overtime acknowledgment to the heroics of Megan Keller.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article