Team USA and Canada have played in some classic gold medal games at the Winter Olympics, but there will be no “Star-Spangled Dangle” repeat in 2022.
The two North American foes are squaring off in their fourth straight Olympic gold medal game and sixth all time with puck drop set for 11:10 p.m. ET.
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The last two tilts have gone to overtime, and the most recent matchup went to a shootout. Marie-Philip Poulin netted an OT winner for Canada in 2014, while Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored an iconic shootout winner for Team USA in 2018.
Despite Canada winning 4-2 against the U.S. in group play, extra time could very well be necessary for the gold medal game in Beijing. One thing that is certain, though, is that the contest will not end in a shootout this time around.
Here’s a look at how the overtime rules work for the Olympics and how things change for the gold medal game:
What are the overtime rules for the Olympic hockey gold medal game?
If the score is tied after three 20-minute periods in the gold medal game, there will be overtime with three skaters and one goalie on the ice for each team. However, a rule change took out the shootout following the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
Instead, the first overtime period is set at 20 minutes. The first team that scores a goal wins. If there is no goal scored in those 20 minutes, full overtime periods continue until one team scores and wins the game.
What are the overtime rules for other Olympic hockey games?
If any other game is tied after 60 minutes, it will still move on to sudden-death overtime. All overtime periods will be played with three skaters and one goaltender for each team.
In group play, there is a five-minute overtime period before going to a shootout that will determine a winner.
In playoff-round games, the overtime period is 10 minutes before going to a shootout.
Are there different overtime rules for Olympic men’s and women’s hockey?
The same overtime rules apply for the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey tournaments at the 2022 Winter Games.