Title: Using operational research to answer some interesting questions about NHL shootouts

Authors: W.J. Hurley

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Royal Military College of Canada, PO Box 17000 Station Forces, Kingston, Ontario K7K 7B4, Canada

Abstract: When NHL teams are tied after 60 min of regulation time and 5 min of sudden-death overtime, there is a shootout to determine who gets the overtime point. Essentially the teams alternate shots until a winner is determined. In this note a number of interesting shootout issues are examined including whether there is an advantage to the team going first, whether shooters| performance is affected when they must score to extend the shootout, and, in view of some of the longer shootouts to date, the probability distribution of shootout length.

Keywords: NHL shootouts; player performance; uncertainty; operational research; National Hockey League.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2009.021621

International Journal of Operational Research, 2009 Vol.4 No.1, pp.117 - 123

Published online: 30 Nov 2008 *

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