CHL announces new Memorial Cup point system hours before 2022 tournament begins

TORONTO — The Canadian Hockey League announced a new point system for the Memorial Cup hours before the start of the 2022 tournament.

Teams will now earn three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win and one point for an overtime loss during the six-game round-robin portion of the tournament.

Previously, teams were awarded two points for a win and no points for a loss, regardless of whether the game went to overtime.

The CHL also announced that sudden-death overtime will be played in a 3-on-3 format in 20-minute periods during the round robin.

Overtime for tiebreakers and playoff games will be 5-on-5.

The major junior hockey tournament, that sees a team from a host city take on the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is making its return after the last two editions were scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament was set to begin Monday night, with the host Saint John Sea Dogs taking on the OHL-champion Hamilton Bulldogs. The Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) and Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) round out the competition.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2022.