A question that often arises for both new and seasoned hockey fans is, “How Long Does A Hockey Game Normally Last?”. While a seemingly simple question, the answer can be a little more nuanced than you might expect. Let’s break down the various factors that influence a hockey game’s duration.
NHL regulation hockey game
The Basics: Regulation Time
A standard National Hockey League (NHL) game consists of three periods, each lasting 20 minutes. This means that the total “regulation time” for a hockey game is 60 minutes. However, the clock stops frequently throughout the game for various reasons such as penalties, offsides, icings, and when the puck leaves the playing surface.
Hockey penalty being called
Overtime: When the Game Needs a Winner
If a game is tied after the 60 minutes of regulation time, overtime is needed to determine a winner. In the NHL, regular-season overtime consists of a single, 5-minute period played with 3 skaters aside (instead of the usual 5). The first team to score a goal wins the game.
Shootouts: A Skills Competition
If the game remains tied after the overtime period in the regular season, the game proceeds to a shootout. In a shootout, each team selects three players to take alternating penalty shots. The team that scores the most goals out of their three attempts wins the game. If the shootout is still tied after three rounds, it continues in sudden-death format until one team scores and the other doesn’t.
Factors That Influence Game Length
Several factors beyond just regulation, overtime, and shootouts can impact the total length of a hockey game.
- Penalties: Frequent penalties lead to more stoppages in play, extending the game’s overall duration.
- Goals and Stoppages: Games with many goals or a lot of whistles from the referees for icings, offsides, etc., will generally last longer.
- Broadcasts: Television timeouts and intermissions between periods are factored into the total broadcast time, making games appear longer on TV.
Hockey game clock
So, How Long Does It Take?
On average, an NHL hockey game lasts between 2.5 and 3 hours when factoring in intermissions, TV timeouts, and stoppages. However, a fast-paced game with few penalties could be completed closer to 2 hours and 15 minutes, while a game with multiple overtime periods and a lengthy shootout could extend well over 3 hours.