A method of breaking ties used in junior, international, and professional ice hockey. After the end of regulation time, and sometimes a five-minute or ten-minute overtime, each team picks five different players and submits their names to the referee. The teams alternate through the list of players. Each player, in turn, takes one penalty shot against the opposition's goaltender.
After each player has taken a turn, whichever team has scored more goals is awarded the victory. (Should a tie remain, each team nominates one shooter, and each takes a penalty shot. And so it goes until there is a victor.)
Canadian hockey fans loathe the shoot-out. In 1994's Olympic Winter Games in Norway, Canada and Sweden played for the gold medal. Canada lost to Sweden in the shoot-out. In 1998's Winter Olympics in Nagano, Dominik Hasek stopped all 5 Canadian shots while Robert Reichel beat Patrick Roy to give the Czech Republic the win. Canada was relegated to the bronze medal match, which they (we) lost. To the relief of all Canadians, the 2002 Winter Games were completed without a shoot-out, and Canada took home the ice hckey gold.
Canadians would rather watch 8 hours of hockey than see their team lose in a shoot-out.