An NHL hockey game has three 20-minute periods, so 60 minutes of playing time. Because the clock stops at every whistle and there are two intermissions, a game usually takes about 2 hours 30 minutes from puck drop to final horn. Regular-season overtime adds up to 5 minutes plus a possible shootout.
If you are planning a night around a game, or deciding whether to put the kids to bed before the third period, the short version is: budget two and a half hours, a bit more if it goes to overtime. Here is where that time goes.
How many periods are in a hockey game?
Hockey is played in three periods, not quarters or halves. In the NHL each period is 20 minutes of game clock, so a full game is 60 minutes of play. Teams switch ends after each period, which is why you see the goalies skate the length of the ice at the start of the second and third.
Hockey has used three periods since 1910, when the National Hockey Association, the league that came before the NHL, moved from two 30-minute halves to three 20-minute periods. The extra break gave the ice a chance to be cleaned between periods.
How many quarters are in hockey?
None. People coming from basketball or football often ask about quarters, but hockey does not have them. It is always three periods, plus overtime if the score is tied at the end of the third.
How long do hockey games last in real time?
The game clock only runs while the puck is in play. It stops for every whistle: icing, offside, penalties, goals, the puck leaving the rink, a goalie freezing the puck. Add those stoppages to the breaks between periods and a 60-minute game stretches out considerably.
A typical NHL game breaks down like this:
| Part of the game | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Three periods of play (game clock) | 60 minutes |
| Stoppages inside each period (whistles, TV breaks, reviews) | Roughly 15 to 20 minutes per period |
| Two intermissions | About 17 to 18 minutes each |
| Total, regulation game | About 2 hours 20 to 40 minutes |
So a game that starts at 7 p.m. usually ends somewhere around 9:30 p.m. Games with lots of penalties, video reviews or injuries run longer. Nationally televised games tend to run a little longer too, because of the commercial schedule.
Broadcasts usually take three commercial breaks per period, at the first stoppage after set points on the clock. That is a big part of why a 20-minute period takes 35 minutes or so on your couch.
How long are hockey intermissions?
NHL intermissions run about 17 to 18 minutes. That gives the ice crew time to resurface the ice with the Zamboni, players time to rest and get treatment, and broadcasters time for highlights and interviews. Between overtime periods in the playoffs, intermissions are similar in length.
How long is overtime?
That depends on when the game is played.
- Regular season: If the game is tied after 60 minutes, teams play up to 5 minutes of sudden-death overtime, three skaters a side. The first goal wins. If nobody scores, the game goes to a shootout. Overtime and a shootout together usually add 10 to 15 minutes of real time.
- Playoffs: There is no shootout. Teams play full 20-minute periods of five-on-five sudden death, with an intermission before each one, until somebody scores. A playoff game can therefore go on for a very long time.
So far in 2026-27, 54 of the 248 regular-season games played (22%) have needed overtime or a shootout. Full details are in our overtime and shootout rules guide.
What is the longest NHL game ever?
The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24 and 25, 1936, in a playoff game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons. It went to six overtime periods before Detroit's Mud Bruneteau scored after 116 minutes and 30 seconds of overtime. In total the teams played 176 minutes and 30 seconds, nearly three full games.
How many periods are in college hockey?
College hockey in the US and Canada also uses three 20-minute periods, the same as the NHL. Overtime rules in college hockey are different from the NHL's and have changed several times, so check the conference you are watching. International hockey, including the Olympics, also plays three 20-minute periods.
Youth and recreational leagues are where you will see different numbers. Many use shorter periods, often 12 to 15 minutes, to fit games into tight ice-time slots.
How long is an ice hockey game compared with other sports?
An NHL game, at around two and a half hours, is close to an NBA game in length and usually shorter than an NFL game. It is also one of the more predictable sports to plan around in the regular season, because overtime is capped at 5 minutes before the shootout settles it.
If you want to know what time tonight's games start in your time zone and where they are on TV, the games tonight page lists every matchup, and each team's page, like the Toronto Maple Leafs or Edmonton Oilers, shows its next game.
Frequently asked questions
- How many periods in hockey?
- There are three periods in a hockey game. In the NHL, college hockey and international hockey, each period is 20 minutes long.
- How long is a hockey game?
- An NHL game has 60 minutes of playing time across three 20-minute periods. With stoppages and two intermissions, it usually takes about two and a half hours in real time.
- How long does an NHL hockey game last with overtime?
- Regular-season overtime is up to 5 minutes of three-on-three, followed by a shootout if needed, which adds roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Playoff overtime has no time limit: teams play 20-minute periods until someone scores.
- How many quarters are in hockey?
- Hockey does not have quarters. It is played in three periods.
- How long is intermission in hockey?
- NHL intermissions run about 17 to 18 minutes, long enough to resurface the ice between periods.
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