Fact Check: Does NHL overtime red envelope really exist? Delving into the story behind the solution to decide an eight overtime game

Does the NHL have a red envelope for playoffs?

A Reddit user claimed that the NHL has specific rules for playoffs if it extends into multiple overtimes.

The user claimed that a game will have two pucks in play if it goes into a sixth overtime.

God I want this by u/whyamialiveohgodplea in tumblr

The NHL overtime red envelope has been something many fans claim is real, but there is no proof it is, and, likely, it doesn’t exist.

However, an X user, Rob Wesley, says the red envelope has some strange ideas for overtime.

"Rules for an eighth overtime - which, again, has never happened in the NHL - are sealed inside a red envelope which has not been opened since 1917."

On paper, there is no truth to the NHL overtime red envelope. Although no game has gone to seven or eight overtimes when the envelope would come into play, the NHL’s overtime rules say it is continuous until there is a winner.

The league did make one change to OT as it did go to three-on-three before a shootout in the regular season. However, the OT is only five minutes, and some players, including Connor McDavid, would instead replace shootouts with an extra five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime. Earlier this year, when he appeared on Sportsnet’s Tim and Friends show, he said,

"I'd like that. I think the shootout, no one loves the shootout. It's a crappy way to finish a game. At the end of the day, too, it's about the players' health and safety. It's a long season. The overtime taxes a lot of guys so making that longer could have some effects there. But I agree with you in the sense that no one wants to see the game end in a shootout."

Johnny Gaudreau, meanwhile, backed Connor McDavid and said he would like three-on-three for an extra five minutes.

"I think it’s a great idea. It’s a little more interesting, maybe. I’m a big fan of three-on-three, so I wouldn’t mind the extra five minutes. I’m sure a lot of people have different opinions, I think a lot of people like shootouts, too. But for me, I wouldn’t mind the 10 minutes."

For now, the NHL overtime red envelope appears to be a fan-faction despite what some claim, as there is no proof of it.