Hockey games typically last for 60 minutes of playing time, divided into three 20-minute periods, not including intermissions or stoppages.
Ever wondered about the actual duration of a hockey game? It’s a common question, especially if you are new to the sport. Understanding how long arehockey games is key to planning your viewing time or even just appreciating the flow of the match.
The clock stops frequently in hockey, adding to the overall game time beyond those 60 minutes. These stoppages occur for various reasons like penalties or goals, so it’s not always as straightforward as 60 minutes, usually longer with intermissions too.
How Long Are Hockey Games?
So, you’re curious about how long a hockey game lasts? It’s a great question! Hockey isn’t like a lot of other sports where the time is pretty consistent. There are different things that can change the length of a game, making it sometimes shorter, sometimes a bit longer. Let’s dive into all the details so you know exactly what to expect.
The Basics: Regulation Time
Most professional and organized hockey games, like those in the National Hockey League (NHL) or college leagues, follow a set structure when it comes to game length. This is called “regulation time”. Think of it as the normal playing time before any extra periods or tie-breakers are needed.
Three Periods of Excitement
A standard hockey game is divided into three periods. Each period is 20 minutes long. However, this is not continuous time, the clock stops each time there is a whistle. That’s what makes it different from a lot of other sports. We will discuss that more later, but for now, let’s stick to the basics. So, if each period is 20 minutes, that’s a total of 60 minutes of playing time during regulation.
Intermission Breaks
Between each period, there are breaks called intermissions. These allow the players to rest, regroup, and get ready for the next period. The intermissions are about 15 to 18 minutes long in most professional hockey leagues, and slightly shorter at other levels. It is a good time for fans to get snacks, use the restroom, or stretch their legs! Add in two 15-18 minute intermissions to the 60 minutes of play, and that puts the length of a hockey game to roughly 90-96 minutes, without any extra time due to penalties, etc.
Why Games Aren’t Always 60 Minutes
Okay, so we know that there are three 20-minute periods in a normal hockey game but, as we said, the clock doesn’t continuously tick down. That’s because there are lots of things that can stop the clock and add to the overall game time. Let’s explore those, because understanding this is key to knowing why hockey games vary in length.
The Whistle: A Time Stopper
The game clock in hockey stops when a referee blows their whistle. This could happen for several reasons. The puck might go out of bounds, a player might commit a penalty, or a player might have an injury. Any time there’s a stoppage in play for one of these reasons, the clock is paused. All these little pauses add up, and that’s why a game can go over the 60 minutes of playing time.
Penalties: More Than Just a Time Out
Penalties are a big part of hockey. When a player breaks the rules, they can get a penalty. A referee stops the play, and the penalized player goes to a penalty box for a certain amount of time. Depending on the severity of the penalty, it can be 2 minutes, 5 minutes, or even more. The time is not stopped during penalties but, the time taken for the stoppage of play when the penalty is given and all the referee discussions can add to the total game time.
Other Game Stoppages
Besides penalties and the puck going out of play, there are other things that can stop the clock. If there is an injury, the clock will stop, and medical personnel are allowed to come to the ice to attend the player. If equipment gets lost or broken, the clock stops as they need to replace it. Sometimes the clock may malfunction and stop until they can fix it. All of this contributes to the overall game time.
Overtime: When the Game Doesn’t End
What happens if the score is tied after three periods of regulation time? That’s where overtime comes in! Overtime is basically an extra period (or periods!) of play that is used to decide a winner, in some hockey leagues. Overtime can significantly increase the time it takes to complete a hockey game.
Different Formats of Overtime
There are different rules for overtime in different leagues. In the NHL regular season, a five-minute overtime is played with 3 players per side, instead of the usual 5. If the game is still tied after the overtime period, then the game ends in a shootout. In a shootout, players from each team get a turn to try to score on the other team’s goalie in a one on one situation.
Other leagues may have a different format. They may play a full overtime period of 20 minutes, or even multiple 20 minute periods until a goal is scored. Play continues until one team scores a goal and wins the game. So, an overtime period can add 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or even longer to the time it takes to finish a game.
Playoffs and Overtime
In the playoffs of many professional leagues, overtime works differently than during the regular season. Playoff overtime will typically be a full 20-minute sudden-death period with 5 players per side. If the game is still tied after that, another 20-minute period is played. This continues until one team scores a goal and wins the game. Playoff games can take a long time due to this, sometimes multiple extra periods of play before a winner is decided.
Game Length Variations Across Different Leagues
We’ve mostly focused on professional hockey like the NHL, but it’s good to know that game length can change in other leagues. Here’s a look at the variations that can happen.
Youth Hockey
For younger players, the game times are shorter. The periods might be only 10 or 15 minutes long, to keep up with the attention span and energy of young kids. Intermissions are often shorter, too. This means that the whole game time can be a lot shorter than what adults will experience at professional or higher level hockey games.
College Hockey
College hockey games are usually very similar to NHL games, with three 20-minute periods. But, their overtime formats might be different. They usually do 5 minute overtime with only 3 players per side, followed by shootouts if the game is tied. So, game length can change depending on whether the game goes into overtime.
International Hockey
International tournaments and competitions, such as the Olympics, follow the regulations set by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). These games generally use the same three 20-minute periods. The overtime format also follows the IIHF guidelines. These are typically sudden death periods until a goal is scored.
Factors That Affect Total Game Time
Now that we’ve gone through periods, intermissions, and overtimes, let’s dig a little deeper into the things that impact total game time in hockey. You’ll see why no two games are exactly the same length.
Number of Penalties
A game with a lot of penalties will take longer because every penalty stops the play. Sometimes there is a lot of back and forth action with players getting penalties, so that stops the game frequently and can add to total game length.
Injuries
If a player gets injured, the clock stops while they get medical care. This can take time, particularly if the injury is serious. Sometimes the officials will also want to discuss the injury if there was a penalty related to the injury, and that takes more time. These stoppages all add to the total game time.
Puck in the Net
Every time the puck goes into the net, the clock is stopped briefly to check the play and make sure that the goal is legitimate. There can be replays of the video to determine if the goal was good, which adds to the overall time of the hockey game.
Close Games
Close games tend to have more penalties and more intensive play, so there will be more stoppage time. Games in the playoffs are also often very close and intense, which increases the total time of the game.
An Example of Game Length Calculation
Let’s put it all together with an example to help understand how game length is calculated.
Let’s say a game has:
- Three 20-minute periods (total 60 minutes of play time)
- Two 17-minute intermissions (total 34 minutes)
- 10 total minutes of penalties
- 5 minutes of stoppage due to injuries and reviews
The total game length in this case would be: 60 minutes + 34 minutes + 10 minutes + 5 minutes = 109 minutes. In this example the hockey game would be around one hour and 49 minutes.
Quick Facts to Remember
- A normal hockey game has three 20-minute periods.
- Intermissions are usually 15 to 18 minutes long.
- The clock stops when there is a whistle due to a penalty, a player is injured, the puck leaves the ice or during goals.
- Overtime periods can add extra time to the game.
- Game length can be shorter in youth leagues.
- The total length of a hockey game can be between 2 to 2.5 hours, but can be more or less depending on several factors.
Why Knowing Game Length Matters
Knowing how long hockey games are and the things that can affect their length will help you plan. You’ll know how much time to set aside if you go to a game, and can manage your schedule around it. Knowing why the game length changes also helps you understand the nuances of how a hockey game flows.
Hockey games can vary in length, but understanding the standard structure and factors that influence game time gives you a better idea of what to expect. From the three periods to intermissions and the excitement of overtime, a hockey game is always a unique experience. Enjoy the action!
How Long Are Hockey Games
Final Thoughts
So, how long are hockey games? Typically, professional hockey games, such as NHL, consist of three 20-minute periods, totaling 60 minutes of playing time. This does not include intermissions or potential overtime.
These periods are often interspersed with two 15-18 minute breaks. Therefore, viewers should expect a game to last around two and a half to three hours in total duration.
