Last month, the CCHA released its annual captains’ poll. The awards given out ranged from the serious (best passer) to the silly (best nickname).

“Best shootout skater,” intended to be a legitimate category, turned out to be one of the most comical. The honor went to Wolverine sophomore forward Aaron Palushaj, a talented skater and stickhandler.

What's so funny about Palushaj's nod? Well, he plays for the Michigan hockey team — the only squad in the conference to not play in a shootout so far this season.

During the off-season, the conference became the nation’s first to implement a three-player shootout formation for CCHA games that remain tied after 60 minutes of regulation and a five-minute overtime period.

But the Wolverines haven’t competed in a shootout, let alone played in overtime, through their first 20 conference games.

By this time last season, Michigan had already posted three ties.

And it’s not like the Wolverines haven’t been in close games. They’ve played eight games decided by one goal and won five of them.

“It’s kind of weird,” junior acting captain Chris Summers said. “I guess it’s just how the puck bounces. We don’t really expect to go into overtime or anything like that. I guess it’s just a coincidence that we haven’t.”

Summers said it would have been nice to have an extra period Saturday night against then-No. 1 Notre Dame, the closest the team has come to ending regulation in a tie. With 31 seconds left in the game, it appeared that junior defenseman Steve Kampfer had battled a loose puck into the back of the net for the game-tying goal, completing a comeback from a three-goal deficit and drawing comparisons to last year's Frozen Four game between the two teams.

“They called the goal off, so I wasn’t really getting my hopes up,” Palushaj said. “Since we haven’t been to overtime this year, I don’t think it went through most of our heads (that we might).”

And because Michigan hasn’t played an extra period all season, it logically hasn’t competed in a shootout, either.

The conference decided to institute the shootout because it needed a tie-breaking procedure for the CCHA standings. The team that wins the shootout gains an extra point — making it equivalent to a regular or an overtime victory. Coaches voted and league officials agreed that an NHL-style, three-player shootout would be crowd-pleasing and less draining on players than endless overtime periods.

Each Wednesday in practice, the players divide and compete against one another in a mock shootout. But Berenson doesn’t think a practice environment simulates the pressure of a game-deciding shot in a hostile arena.

“You try to create some competition,” Berenson said. “But still, I couldn’t tell you for sure who’s going to be good in a shootout until they actually do it in a game.”

Palushaj, the captain’s poll favorite, and fellow sophomore forward Carl Hagelin are likely selections for a shootout. Players seem to enjoy Wednesday shootouts, always teasing teammates who miss and cheering players who score.

This weekend’s opponent, Lake Superior State, has the experience in shootouts that Michigan lacks. The Lakers have been in six overtime games and are tied for most in the conference. And while that could give them an edge in a potential extra frame or pressure-packed shootout, the Wolverines aren’t worried.

“They’ve been in them, and we haven’t been in them," Berenson said. "That doesn’t concern me. We’re playing to win every game, not to tie.”