A few years ago at Pittsburgh Penguins rookie camp, E.J. Johnston observed the delight among a couple thousand fans as they watched a tournament of 3-on-3 contests.
"It was electric," Johnston recalled. "It was end-to-end action. It was all the creativity, and goal-scoring and tic-tac-toe passing that hockey fans love."
The NHL's five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime period, instituted in 2015, gained almost immediate popularity and praise from hockey fans. Johnston — whose father Eddie won two Stanley Cups as a goaltender with the Boston Bruins and is a longtime member of the Penguins' front office — had an idea.