In future New Zealand Ice Hockey League championship games it is likely 20 minutes of overtime will be played before reverting to a shoot-out, rather than the previous five minutes.
NZIHL president Grant Hay said although championship rules were not discussed at the association's meeting on Saturday in Christchurch, due to no-one from Southland, Dunedin or Queenstown Lakes raising the issue, an alteration to the playoffs and finals games has been requested and will likely be finalised at the AGM in February.
Earlier this month, Queenstown Ice Arena co-owner Daniel Graham told the Otago Daily Times he hoped New Zealand would comply with international rules following the 5-5 draw in the NZIHL final between Queenstown's Southern Stampede and the Canterbury Red Devils.
With both teams tied at the final whistle, five minutes of overtime was played before a penalty shoot-out in which the Red Devils scored a controversial goal.
International Ice Hockey Federation rules allowed 20 minutes of overtime with four players a side, which is one fewer than usual, before a shoot-out if a goal is not scored.
NZIHL president Grant Hay said the four-player rule was already adhered to and the only rule change for this particular issue was the length of overtime.
"The hope is that one team will score a goal in that 20 minutes [before going to a shoot-out]."
Despite Mr Graham saying the crowd felt "robbed" with an "unnecessary rush" to finish the game through the shoot-out, Mr Hay said feedback the association received on shoot-outs was conflicted.
Also to be finalised at the AGM is a decision about how many imported players each team is allowed.
"Under the current import rules we are allowed seven per team and there is a desire to drop that to four," Mr Hay said.
"It's been raised and we're going to look at it and hopefully finalise it in February."
