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How Long Are NHL Games?
Ice hockey is more than simply a sport; it's an amazing experience that has captivated fans worldwide. The average length of an NHL game is a frequently asked question among fans and newbies.
![A general view of the ice surface and score clock [Credit-Getty Images]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/pics/855x855/444253353_a-general-view-of-the-ice-surface-and-score-clock-credit-getty-images-1_202405.jpg "A general view of the ice surface and score clock [Credit-Getty Images]")
Ice hockey is a fast-paced and entertaining sport that has sparked the curiosity of people worldwide. One popular question hockey fans and newbies ask is how long an average NHL game lasts. Knowing how long a game will last can help fans organize their calendars and time, which can help them better understand the sport.
How long are the NHL games?
Hockey games consist of three 20-minute quarters for a total of 60 minutes of gameplay. However, the entire time of a game includes intermissions between quarters, which run around 15-18 minutes.
Between these times, two intermissions allow players to recover and strategize. Intermissions in NHL games are normally 17-18 minutes long, but in high school games, they are just 12 minutes.
The typical NHL game time, including intermissions and commercial breaks, ranges from 2 hours and 15 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the game's elements.
READ MORE: How Many NHL Teams Are There? All You Need To Know
Difference between an NHL game and a normal Ice Hockey game
Although both amateur and NHL hockey games have a 60-minute runtime, the game formats differ slightly. For example, if a game is tied during regular time, it will go to overtime, which varies in duration depending on the league or level of play.
Ice hockey games can include a variety of overtime forms, including five-minute sudden-death overtime periods and shootouts, but NHL hockey games feature a five-minute, three-on-three overtime session followed by a shootout if required.
Stoppages in play, such as icing, penalties, and the need to reset the puck, can further lengthen the time of ice hockey and NHL games. An NHL hockey game, including these stoppages, may run around two and a half hours.
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What happens if the game goes overtime?
In the NHL regular season, games tied at the end of normal time go into a 5-minute 3-on-3 sudden-death extra period. If neither team scores during this time, the game proceeds to a shootout. In the extra session, teams begin with three players each, excluding goalies. Here are some notable points in regular season overtime:
- Any penalties carry over from regular to overtime.
- Goalkeepers can be substituted during stoppages.
- Teams are allowed to use their one 30-second timeout if they have not previously done so during regulation.
Overtime regulations change between the NHL playoffs and the regular season. Playoff games that are tied after regulation time continue with 20-minute quarters of 5-on-5 play until a goal is scored, at which point the game is decided by sudden death. There are no shootouts in playoff overtime. Key characteristics of NHL playoff going overtime are:
- Each overtime period is a full twenty minutes.
- The game will continue until there is a winner.
- Teams change ends after each extra period.
- There are no timeouts during overtime.
- Due to the sudden-death overtime rule, the Stanley Cup playoffs have featured some of the longest and most heated games in NHL history.
Overtime periods can occasionally go multiple extra sessions before a goal is scored and a victor is chosen, as seen by the NHL's longest playoff games.
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