Gold Medal Winning Jailbreak Goals Could Be Coming As IIHF Discussing Rule

The "jailbreak goal" has been one of the best receive rule changes this season in the PWHL, and the IIHF will begin looking at the rule as a possible adaptation in international competition.

Perhaps the most popular new rule introduced by the PWHL this season was the jailbreak. It's a rule that ends a powerplay, freeing the penalized player from the penalty box, when a team scores shorthanded.

Soon, that rule could make its way to the IIHF. Fans of the PWHL love the rule, and so do members of the IIHF's council. 

"I love it," said Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer, IIHF council member and chair of the women's committee.

"That's the best rule novelization recently that I've seen," said Marta Zawadzka, chairperson of the IIHF's officiating committee.

Behind their individual support and excitement about the rule, is the idea that it could be used in international play and European leagues in the near future. The IIHF has already discussed beginning to test the rule in Europe next year

"We have it on the subject and it is now to be discussed if we're going to have it one year to check in one of the European leagues," said Zawadzka. "Maybe the champions hockey league, to see how it goes and then implement it."

"I really like it, that's my personal opinion that when you chase the puck, you're fighting for possession, then you can be the Queen of the Jailbreak. For the eye of the spectator it's a great rule."

It's a similar response for the innovative rule, which was met with excitement among PWHL fans and players this season.

"A lot of times on the penalty kill, you try to dump it and get a change," said Canada's Emma Maltais, who scored the first jailbreak goal in league history. "Now, if you have a chance, why not go for it?"

If the trial run from the IIHF goes well in European competition over the coming year, we could be seeing jailbreak goals resulting in gold in the future.