Could 3-on-3 in overtime be headed for NHL?

For decades, the American Hockey League has significantly aided the NHL by preparing its prospects to play in the show.

But the AHL is helping in another way this season by implementing a rule change that might, in the future, dramatically alter how the NHL decides games tied after regulation. NHL personnel are intrigued by the AHL's positive results using three-on-three competition in overtime.

"As a hockey guy, you do like to see the game end by a goal versus a shootout," Nashville Predators general manager David Poile. "There's no question the fans love the shootout, and that's not going away. But possibly you could see the three-on-three as a little bit of a compromise."

NHL rules call for five minutes of four-on-four play and then a shootout if no winner is determined. The new AHL rule calls for three minutes of four-on-four play and a shift to three-on-three at the first whistle after three minutes. The AHL goes to a shootout if there is no winner after seven minutes.

"The three-on-three we have played has been amazing — it was truly entertaining," said Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins winger Jeff Hoggan, an AHL veteran who has played 107 NHL games.

The rule change has had an extraordinary statistical impact: Coming into this week's action, 77.8% of overtime games were settled before the shootout. The final figure in 2013-14, when the AHL played four-on-four throughout OT, was 35.3%.

When AHL President David Andrews saw the three-on-three for the first time in his league, he thought it was "spectacularly entertaining."

"The three-on-three portion had everyone on the edge of their seats and I'm hearing that all over," Andrews told USA TODAY Sports.

The AHL has had 22 overtime games decided in four-on-four and 20 in three-on-three. What's interesting is the 20 goals have come in only 56 minutes of three-on-three competition.

"The first a little bit of three-on-three tends to be cautious and then if there is a scoring chance, it generally creates an odd-man rush the other way," Andrews said.

Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said the three-on-three play he has witnessed has been non-stop hockey — a scoring chance at one end, followed by a scoring chance at the other end.

"I had people tell me in that they hadn't seen the rink with that excitement level since the Calder Cup Finals two years ago," Blashill said. "If it is a shot and it is not in the net, it is probably going the other way."

Three-on-three hockey doesn't lend itself to conservative play. It's not as if coaches can slow down the game if they are in a talent disadvantage.

"Three-on-three is so much about individual ability," Blashill said. "I think the coaches have to let the horses run."

In the NHL this season, about 58% of games tied in regulation have ended in a shootout. Through the first two months last season, that figure was close to 63%.

One offseason change was to have teams switch ends in overtime to create a longer skate to the bench for line changes in hopes that teams would get caught more often on bad changes. Players have noticed a difference.

"It does create a little more offensive opportunity and a little more defensive discomfort on your changes," Predators forward Matt Cullen said.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland has championed the cause of three-on-three overtime hockey, and even he said he wants to watch it longer in the AHL.

"It's a small body of work," he said. "I think we need a bigger body of work."

No one is suggesting the NHL eliminate the shootout, just make it rarer.

One theory is the shootout would become more exciting if it happened only once every five OT games.

"It would be kind of back to the days when you had a penalty shot and it was so special," Hoggan said.

One discussion about the AHL rule is whether it would be better if the referee blew the whistle when the puck entered the neutral zone after the three-minute mark. There aren't many stoppages in overtime and fans seem to want three-on-three to start as soon as possible.

While the NHL hasn't fully committed to three-on-three OT, there is an increased appetite for adopting some form of it, even if it is not exactly like the AHL format.

The plan is to discuss it more when the general managers meet in March in Florida.

"We should wait and see exactly how it goes in the American League and also what the end result is because it could change," said New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. "It's very early in the season.

"I wouldn't be surprised if someday we see it. We won't see it this year, but we have a sampling going on in the American League and we should use it."