IIHF makes controversial decision regarding 3-on-3 after Olympic backlash

Chris Johnston reports the international governing body will permanently stick with the 3-on-3 structure for future Olympic medal rounds. The backlash from prominent hockey figures has fallen on completely deaf ears in Switzerland.

The final ruling comes on the heels of a heartbreaking weekend in Milan for Canadian hockey fans. Watching the Americans celebrate on Italian ice twice in 24 hours stung the entire nation.

Both the men's and women's gold medal games were ultimately decided in the wide-open, chaotic 3-on-3 format. A traditional 5-on-5 period was off the table from puck drop.

Team USA swept the hardware across the board. They left Canada with a pair of silver medals and a bitter taste in their mouths regarding the tournament rulebook.

Canada heavily outshot the Americans 42-26 in the men's final. They dictated the pace all night and kept the puck pinned in the offensive zone.

They even dominated the analytical side of the game. Canada posted a massive 5.96 expected goals mark compared to a measly 1.96 for the USA.

The 3-on-3 overtime completely changes the sport at its core. It turns a heavily structured, physical defensive battle into a track meet based entirely on possession.

The extra open ice drastically alters defensive schemes and heavily favors high-risk, odd-man rushes. One blown tire instantly creates a breakaway going the other way.

Connor Hellebuyck was the actual difference maker for the Americans. He made 40 saves and flat-out robbed the loaded Canadian roster for 60 minutes of regulation.

Connor McDavid took home tournament MVP honors despite the loss. He racked up 13 points over six games, setting a new Olympic scoring standard for active NHLers.

But individual accolades mean nothing when the ultimate prize slips away in what many consider a coin-flip scenario. The locker room was absolutely devastated.

Cooper's post-game frustration is completely justified from a coaching perspective. Deciding the biggest international tournament in the world with a novelty format feels cheap to purists.

Diehard fans want to see traditional 5-on-5 hockey determine the Olympic champion. They want the heavy physical grind, not an extended skills competition masquerading as sudden death.

The IIHF clearly disagrees with the North American sentiment. They love the television entertainment value, so fully expect this 3-on-3 madness to return in 2030.