The Magazine's E.J. Hradek hates ties -- and he suspected that many of you agree with him. So he asked you fans to send him your best idea for getting rid of ties. As promised, here are some of the best fan responses.

This solution is based on a combination of three things: 3 points for victory (as in soccer), sudden death OT, and shoot-out as the last option. This is how the points would go:

·Victory in regulation: Winner gets 3 pts, loser 0.
·OT-goal victory: Winner gets 3 pts, loser 1.
·If no goals are scored in OT, then shoot-out for "extra point": Winner gets 2 pts, loser 1.

This way winning with a "real" goal remains the best option, but there will be no more ties. All games will end with a winning goal and the audience gets their money's worth of entertainment. Yet the value of a shoot-out victory remains less than a normal victory.
-- Sampo Lahtinen, Luopioinen, Finland

As a fellow hater of ties, I think all games should be played out until there's a score, regardless of the circumstances -- but I don't have to play back-to-back away games, either. So:

·During the first 4-on-4 OT, allow only goalies and offensive players -- no defensemen.
·Eliminate the two-line pass rule in OT.

After the first 5-minute overtime:

·Each side can put 5 people on the ice, but none of them can be a goalie. Play until there's a goal.

·Eliminate offsides rule in second OT.
-- Brendan Taylor, San Francisco

4 points for a regulation win. If the game is tied after 60 minutes, a point for each team, with 2 extra points for an OT winner. If still tied, a shoot-out for 1 extra point. This format motivates teams to win in regulation or at least OT. A shoot-out win wouldn't be worth much (as it shouldn't). But you get your "winner".
-- Richard Jenkins, N. Wilkesboro, N.C.

Let 'em fight it out. Hockey is a good sport because it allows its players to fight it out without interference from referees. So why not put this fighting to some use. Whichever team's player falls to the ice first in a fight automatically loses when an overtime period is over.
-- Justin Williams, Baltimore

No line changes. You put your best 5 out there, and they go until a goal is scored. Games would be over in under 5 minutes, since all the players' legs should fall off by then. Last guy standing gets a free breakaway on the goalie.
-- Rob Razzano, Cincinnati

Play the OT with three pucks. First team to get any puck into the net wins.
-- Dave, Grande Prairie, Alberta

Mandatory pulling of the goalies in overtime. There would be no excuse for a tie since a team is bound to score.
-- Scott Shelton, Memphis

Officials seem to shy away from calling penalties in OT for fear of coaches having strokes on national TV. But if the stripes would call these penalties, fans would see 4-on-3 hockey, and more open ice creates more scoring chances. If that solution doesn't work, entice teams in OT to play hard for the win by announcing that the non-scoring team will be forced to watch Youngblood in its entirety after the game.
-- Jen, Camp Hill, Penn.

Simple -- if two teams are still tied after three periods and OT, the winner should be the team with the most shots on net. This will force teams to open up and may actually prevent OT outright. We should however, keep the current point system for an OT loss.
-- Joshua Trujillo, Montreal

After the third, bring the Zamboni out, then play a 20-minute sudden death period. The National Football League plays a full period, and how many ties do they have?
-- Matt Larsen, The Dalles, Ore.

Something like college football OT. Teams take turns on the power play with the first round 5 on 4. 2 minutes. If the 2 minutes ends, play is stopped and the other team gets their power play. If neither team scores in the first round, go to 5 on 3 power plays. This isn't sudden death, so both teams would get a chance on their PP. Both teams would get the full 2 minutes, so there could be multiple goals including shorthanded.
-- Chris Vosler, Merrillville, Ind.

Make the nets a tad bit bigger. Or you could make the goalies play blindfolded the last minute of overtime.
-- Shad Marsh, Buffalo

The only way to eliminate ties is to remove the reward for settling for a tie. A new points system would do that. 2 points for a regulation win, 1 point for an overtime win (with 4-on-4) and NO points for a tie. That would end lackadaisical play when a game is tied late in the third period.
-- Rob, Wake Forest, N.C.

Have the game simulated on a Playstation 2, and show the game on the big screen.
-- Jason Valetutto, Woodbridge N.J.

Don't eliminate ties! What's next? Major League Baseball goes to a home run contest after 9 innings? Leave the game the way it was meant to be played! Regular season games mean a lot -- they mean a shot of getting to the big dance.
-- Lee Perrault, Boston