Hockey games typically last for 60 minutes of playing time, divided into three 20-minute periods, not including intermissions or potential overtime.
Ever wondered how long do hockey games last? It’s a common question for newcomers to the sport, and even seasoned fans sometimes lose track with all the action. The game clock might seem straightforward, but there’s more to it than just the 60 minutes.
Between periods, there are intermissions, and games can even go into overtime if a tie persists. These extra times can add to the overall duration, making the total time slightly unpredictable. It’s great to know what to expect before settling in to watch a game.
How Long Do Hockey Games Last?
Ever wondered just how long you’ll be cheering, holding your breath, and maybe even doing a little victory dance during a hockey game? It’s a great question, and the answer isn’t always a simple number. Let’s break down everything that goes into the length of a hockey game, so you’ll know what to expect whether you’re watching in person or on TV.
The Basics: Regulation Time
The main part of a hockey game is called regulation time. This is where most of the action happens, and it’s divided into three equal parts known as periods. Each period in a standard hockey game lasts 20 minutes. It’s important to know, that this is playing time; the clock stops often during play. This playing time doesn’t include all the breaks for stoppages, and intermissions. To calculate total regulation time, you multiply that 20 minutes by three, which gets us a total of 60 minutes of hockey action.
What Happens Between Periods?
You can’t have hockey non-stop! There are breaks between each period called intermissions. These breaks are usually 15-17 minutes long. Players use this time to rest, chat with coaches, and prepare for the next period. During these intermissions, you might see players getting water, fixing their equipment, or just taking a breather on the bench.
- Intermission Length: Roughly 15-17 minutes each.
- Intermission Purpose: Rest, Strategy, Gear Adjustment.
So, if we put it all together, we have 60 minutes of playing time and around 30-34 minutes of intermission time (15-17 minutes 2 intermissions). This gives us a total amount of 90-94 minutes. But keep reading because a typical hockey game lasts longer than this. There’s much more to it!
Beyond Regulation: Stoppages and More
The 60 minutes of playing time is the ideal length, but hockey games rarely run so perfectly. There are several reasons why games usually last longer than 60 minutes, thanks to the constant stoppages. Understanding these can help you estimate how long you will be watching a particular game. The clock stops for many reasons during the game, including:
- Goals: Every time a goal is scored, the clock stops for a few seconds to make sure it’s registered correctly.
- Penalties: When a player breaks a rule, the game stops to assess the penalty.
- Puck out of Play: If the puck leaves the playing area, the clock stops until play resumes.
- Icing: If a player shoots the puck from behind their own side of the center line to past the opposing team’s goal line without touching anyone, that’s icing which results in a stoppage.
- Offsides: If a player from the attacking team enters the offensive zone before the puck, an offside call occurs, stopping the clock.
- Injuries: If a player is injured, the game stops to allow for medical attention.
- Time Outs: Each team gets one timeout per game, and the clock stops when a team calls one.
- Television Timeouts: Especially in professional hockey leagues, TV networks have commercial breaks scheduled throughout the game, which results in stoppages.
All of these elements cause the clock to stop several times throughout a game. It’s also worth noting that these stoppages can vary in length, depending on the reason for the stoppage.
How Stoppages Affect Game Time
Because of these stoppages, the actual game length often stretches from the anticipated 90-94 minutes to two and a half to three hours. There is a very high chance that every hockey game you watch, will last at least over 2 hours in total. This is one of the many reasons why watching hockey games is so thrilling. You never know when the next stop happens or what will happen next.
What Happens If There’s a Tie?
Okay, so you’ve watched the entire 60 minutes of the game (plus stoppages and intermissions!), and the scores are tied. What happens then? Well, it depends on the league you’re watching. Most hockey leagues follow either an overtime period or a shootout if there is a tie after regulation.
Overtime
Overtime is an extra period of play added when the score is tied after the regulation time. Here’s how it generally works:
- Length of Overtime: Overtime periods are typically shorter than regulation periods, usually lasting 5 minutes in most professional leagues.
- Golden Goal: Overtime in professional hockey is sudden death; the first team to score wins the game. If no goal is scored during the overtime period, the game moves to a shootout.
The format can change in some situations. For instance, in playoff games, overtime periods can be a full 20 minutes, and those can repeat until a goal is scored. This makes for long, intense hockey games!
Shootout
If the game is still tied after overtime, or if there is no overtime period, many leagues move on to a shootout. In this situation, the game moves from full teams playing to a one-on-one scenario:
- One-on-One: In a shootout, each team takes turns sending one player to shoot a penalty shot against the opposing team’s goalie.
- Few Rounds: Each team gets a set number of shots (usually three) to try to score.
- Winner Decided: If there’s still a tie after those rounds, the shootout continues one shot at a time until one team scores and the other does not.
A shootout adds a lot of excitement and suspense to the end of a game, making for some thrilling moments.
How Length Varies Across Different Hockey Leagues
The general rules and structure of hockey are very similar across different leagues, however, the game length can have slight variations. Let’s look at a few popular leagues:
National Hockey League (NHL)
The NHL is the most popular hockey league in the world, and follows the standard format:
- Three 20-minute periods
- 15-17 minute intermissions
- 5-minute 3v3 overtime in regular season (sudden-death)
- Shootout if tied after overtime in the regular season
- 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods in the playoffs
Due to many stoppages in the NHL, most of the games run closer to 2.5-3 hours.
American Hockey League (AHL)
The AHL is the primary developmental league for the NHL, so their rules are very close to the NHL:
- Three 20-minute periods
- 15-17 minute intermissions
- 7-minute 3v3 overtime in regular season (sudden-death)
- Shootout if tied after overtime in the regular season
College Hockey (NCAA)
College hockey in the US also follows the basic framework, but with a few minor differences:
- Three 20-minute periods
- 15-17 minute intermissions
- 5-minute 5v5 sudden death overtime (if regular season)
- 5 minute 3v3 sudden death overtime after that (if regular season)
- Shootout if tied after that (if regular season)
- 20-minute sudden-death overtime in playoffs
International Hockey
International hockey, such as the Olympics or World Championships, also uses similar time frames, though there may be small deviations depending on the tournament.
- Three 20-minute periods
- 15-17 minute intermissions
- 5-minute sudden-death overtime
- Shootout if tied after overtime
Youth Hockey
In youth hockey, game lengths can vary significantly depending on age groups and leagues. Shorter periods are typical in youth leagues, which means shorter overall games. This is generally so younger kids can play without getting too tired.
- Periods may range from 10-20 minutes
- Intermissions are often shorter than in professional leagues
- Overtime and Shootouts are less common at the younger age levels
Factors That Can Make a Game Longer
Several situations during a hockey game can extend its overall length. It’s good to know these when you’re trying to figure out how long you’ll be at the rink!
Numerous Penalties
When there are many penalties during a game, it adds a lot of time. Every penalty stops the clock, and if it’s a major penalty or a situation with multiple penalties, this can add to the overall game length. It also has the potential to cause some extended delays if a review is required or if a fight breaks out.
Close Games and Overtime
Games that are very close often lead to more intense play, meaning more stoppages and increased tension. Overtime can greatly extend game time, and if that is in the playoffs, there are additional 20 minute overtime periods added until a goal is scored.
Reviews and Video Replay
With video replay technology becoming more common, game stoppages due to reviews can add several minutes to the overall game length. These situations are very rare, and typically only occur if the play is very close or unclear to officials.
Injuries
If a player is injured during the game, the game will stop to allow medical attention for the player. Depending on the severity of the injury, there can be extensive delays.
Television Commercials
Especially in leagues like the NHL, the television networks will take commercial breaks that contribute to the overall game length. The time of these breaks are determined by television networks for maximum viewership.
So, how long do hockey games last? While the standard regulation time is 60 minutes, the actual duration is often between two and a half to three hours. Stoppages, intermissions, and potential overtime all add to the time. This is what makes hockey so fun, with many twists and turns along the way! Understanding all of the elements that contribute to a game’s length, can help you prepare for a full night of hockey.
So, next time you settle in to watch a game, remember that it’s not just 60 minutes of playing time you’re signing up for. Get ready for the action, the breaks, the potential for overtime, and all the excitement that comes with a good hockey match! Enjoy the game!
The Rules of Ice Hockey – EXPLAINED!
Final Thoughts
In summary, a standard NHL hockey game lasts 60 minutes, divided into three 20-minute periods. However, stoppages for penalties, goals, and intermissions extend the total time. Overtime can further prolong a game if there is a tie at the end of regulation. Therefore, the answer to “how long do hockey games last” isn’t fixed, but plan for around 2.5 to 3 hours.
