Team Canada coach Jon Cooper has strongly criticized the 3-on-3 overtime format used at the Winter Olympics after his team lost the gold medal to the United States. "You take four players off the ice, now hockey's not hockey anymore," Cooper stated, attributing the format to television demands for quicker game endings.
Cooper noted that while the NHL uses 3-on-3 in the regular season, it is not employed in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He clarified, however, that he was not using the format as an excuse for the loss, acknowledging all teams knew the rules beforehand. Canada had previously won a quarterfinal game in the same 3-on-3 format.
The winning goal was scored by Team USA's Jack Hughes at 1:41 of overtime, capitalizing on the open ice typical of 3-on-3 play. Despite his criticism, Cooper conceded that skilled players made a decisive play, stating, "They made one more play than we did in overtime."