A standard professional hockey game lasts 60 minutes, divided into three 20-minute periods.
Ever wondered how long is hockey games? It’s a common question for both new fans and those trying to schedule their evening around a match. This duration doesn’t include intermissions or potential overtime.
The actual time a hockey game takes from start to finish can vary due to stoppages in play and penalties. So, while the clock shows 60 minutes, expect the total time at the arena to be significantly longer.
How Long Is Hockey Games?
Ever wondered how much time you spend glued to the TV or cheering in the stands during a hockey game? It’s not as simple as a set 60 minutes, there’s more to it than that! The length of a hockey game can vary depending on a few key factors. Let’s dive into all the details and break down the different parts that make up the total time a hockey game takes.
The Standard Game: Three Periods of Action
The main part of any hockey game is divided into three sections called periods. Each period in a standard professional hockey game is 20 minutes long. So, if we only counted the periods, we’d have 60 minutes of hockey, right? Not quite! This is the actual “playing time”, meaning the time the clock is running while the puck is in play. However, there are many other things that contribute to the overall game duration.
Understanding Stop Time
One of the biggest reasons why hockey games take longer than just 60 minutes is the use of “stop time”. Unlike some other sports where the clock keeps running even when the ball is not in play, the clock in hockey stops every time there’s a whistle. What causes a whistle? Plenty of things! Here are some of the most common reasons the clock stops in a hockey game:
- Icing: When a player shoots the puck from behind their own side of the center red line to beyond the opposing team’s goal line without it being touched by another player, the play stops and there is a face-off.
- Offsides: When an attacking player enters the attacking zone before the puck, the play is called offsides and the game is stopped.
- Penalties: If a player breaks a rule, they get a penalty, and the clock stops.
- Goals: When a team scores a goal, everyone celebrates, and the game clock stops momentarily for the goal announcement.
- Puck Out of Play: If the puck is shot out of the playing area into the crowd, or is covered by the goalie, the game stops.
- Injuries: If a player gets injured, the play stops to attend them.
All of these stops add up, so that a game that is only 60 minutes of action on the clock ends up lasting much longer in real time.
Intermission Breaks: Catch Your Breath!
Between each of the three periods are breaks called intermissions. These breaks are important for players to rest, strategize with their coaches, and for the ice to be cleaned. Typically, there are two intermissions in a hockey game, each lasting about 15-18 minutes in the NHL. Other leagues and levels of play may have shorter intermissions.
During these intermissions, the Zamboni (or an ice resurfacer) does its important work of smoothing the ice so that the players have a better playing surface for the next period. The intermissions also provide time for fans to stretch their legs, grab some snacks, or visit the restroom before the action starts again. These breaks are a key part of the game’s rhythm and contribute to the overall duration.
Overtime: The Thrill of Sudden Death
Sometimes, after the three periods of play, the game is tied. What happens then? That’s when the excitement of overtime comes into play! In the regular season, the NHL uses a 5 minute overtime format. If no one scores, it goes to shootout. In the playoffs, however, overtime periods are 20-minutes long and these periods go on until a goal is scored. This is called sudden-death overtime, as a single goal will determine the winner.
Overtime is one of the most intense parts of any hockey game. The game has the potential to go on for a very long time. Games can go on for multiple overtimes. These overtime periods mean the game can go way beyond the standard 2.5 hours.
The Actual Length of Hockey Games
Now, with all the details covered, what is the total time a hockey game lasts? It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact duration, but typically, a professional hockey game in the NHL lasts around 2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes. This includes the three 20-minute periods, the two intermissions, and any time stoppages. Games with overtime can easily go over the three hour mark.
The length of the game is also affected by things like the number of penalties, injuries, and whether there are any video reviews. Each of these things can add several minutes to the total time a hockey game takes. As a result, you cannot say a hockey game takes exactly two hours and thirty minutes, because it can be shorter or longer based on the stoppages.
Variations in Game Length
While the format described above is standard for the National Hockey League (NHL), different leagues and levels of play may have different rules that impact the duration. Here’s a quick look at how game length can vary:
- Junior Hockey (like the OHL, WHL, QMJHL) : These leagues often have the same three 20-minute period structure as the NHL. However, intermission lengths may vary slightly, often being shorter. Overtime formats are also different.
- College Hockey (NCAA) : College hockey games also feature three 20-minute periods, but typically have slightly shorter intermissions compared to the NHL. Overtime formats are different as well.
- Youth Hockey : Games for young players usually have shorter periods. For example, might have periods of 15 minutes or 12 minutes depending on the age group. Intermissions are usually shorter. The game length is much shorter for these age groups.
- International Hockey (Olympics, World Championships) : Generally, international hockey follows a similar structure to the NHL, with three 20-minute periods and intermissions of comparable length.
As you can see, the structure of a hockey game is fairly consistent, but slight variations in the length of periods and intermissions result in differences to how long the games last overall, based on the level of play.
Factors Affecting Game Length: Deeper Dive
We’ve touched on some of the things that affect the length of a hockey game, but let’s dig a bit deeper into how these specific elements contribute to the overall duration. Certain game events cause more stoppages than others which result in a longer game.
Power Plays and Penalty Time
When one team receives a penalty, the other team gets to play with a power play. This means they have one player advantage on the ice for the length of the penalty. Penalties can cause multiple stoppages, including the initial penalty call, face-offs and stoppages related to the power play. The more penalties in a game, the more stoppages and face-offs and the longer the game lasts.
Video Review
In modern hockey, referees can use video replay to review goals and other game events. If there’s any uncertainty about whether a goal was scored legally, or whether a penalty was committed, officials can review a video replay. These reviews can add several minutes to the game and may contribute to an overall increase to the game duration. Especially if there are multiple video reviews in the same game.
Injuries
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game. When a player is injured, the game stops to tend to them and get them off the ice. Severe injuries will stop a game for a prolonged period of time. There can be a significant amount of stoppage time for injuries, and the stoppage length is also affected by if a player needs to be taken off on a stretcher. The level of injury can have a significant impact on the total length of the game.
A Quick Look: Time Break Down
To recap, let’s consider a typical professional hockey game’s time breakdown:
| Element | Duration (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Three 20-Minute Periods | 60 minutes (actual playing time) |
| Two Intermissions | 30-36 minutes (15-18 minutes each) |
| Stoppage time (Icing, Offsides, Penalties, etc.) | 30-60 minutes or more, depending on the game |
| Overtime (if needed) | 5 minutes for regular season, 20 minute periods in the playoffs until a goal is scored |
| Total Time | Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours or more |
This table should give you a clearer picture of the different time components in a typical hockey game and the contributing elements.
Why Does Knowing the Game Length Matter?
Understanding how long hockey games last is beneficial for a few reasons. For fans, knowing the approximate duration allows them to plan their day, time, travel to the arena and plan their evening. It also helps to have a sense of the time commitment required to watch the game or if you will be in attendance in person. For coaches, they plan the game around the time frame and prepare their players. For players, it’s important to know the time frame that they are committing their energy to.
So, the next time you watch a hockey game, remember that there’s a lot more to the game than just the 60 minutes on the clock. You now understand all the factors that contribute to the overall length of a game! So settle in, grab your favorite snacks, and get ready for an exciting (and maybe longer than you thought) game!
How long is a hockey game?
Final Thoughts
Hockey games typically run for about 2.5 to 3 hours, including intermissions. However, the actual playing time is 60 minutes, divided into three 20-minute periods. This excludes any stoppage time.
Understanding game length is important for planning. Overtime periods can make the total time longer. So, ‘how long is hockey games’ is not a simple answer, it depends on various factors.
