Tucked into a CP story about NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman knocking down rumors about the length of his contract with the league was this item about another possible change in the points system:
Bettman said the competition committee has studied changing the points awarded for games to three for a win in regulation, two for a win in overtime or a shootout, and one for an overtime or shootout loss."The view was based on the dynamics on the way the game is being played, the openness of the game, the predictability, the lead changes we are now seeing with a wide-open game, may disappear," he said.
"We decided to see, over time, if another change was appropriate."
Before the lockout, I was working on an article -- never published -- with a professor of economics on applying game theory to the NHL points system. One of the things that professor, James Miller, suggested to me was that over time, weaker teams might start playing the game with an eye toward delaying a decision as long as possible and earning a point before taking their chances in OT or a shootout. Good to see the league is taking that probability into account.
