How long is ice hockey? (2023)

How long is ice hockey played?

The game is divided into three periods of 20 minutes playing time each, with a 15-minute intermission between periods. Hockey games may end in a tie unless the rules stipulate an overtime period to serve as a tiebreaker.

A Typical Professional Hockey Game Length

The average NHL hockey game length is about 60 minutes. There are three 20-minute periods in a game, so the actual playing time is only about 45 minutes. There is also a 15-minute intermission between the second and third periods.

Before 1910, they used to play 2 halves of 30 minutes each. But at the end of each half, the ice was so rutted and covered with snow that it slowed the game way down. So they changed it to 3 periods of 20 minutes each to give them a chance to clean the ice one more time. It also gave the players more time to rest.

All in all, professional hockey games will at the least run for around 2 hours and 20 minutes. But when you factor in your arrival time, you'll probably spend closer to 3 hours at the arena. Pregame arrival, three periods of play, stoppages, two intermissions, and the possibility of overtime will result in a fun night.

How Long Do Ice Hockey Games Last? NHL games consist of 60 minutes of playtime that breaks down into three separate periods. The 20-minute periods don't include stoppages in play like the puck leaving the ice, or the NHL intermissions, which are fifteen minutes.

The intermissions between periods are seventeen minutes long. Even if a player were to partake in all seven other things on the list, they would still likely have some time left over before the needed to return to the ice. Most players fill said extra time just by resting more, to ensure they can perform at their best.

As mentioned earlier, the intermission time is used to resurface the ice for optimal playing conditions. The 18-minutes mostly allows for the Zambonis (usually x2) to clean the ice, followed by the ice cleaning crew to mop away the any puddles and allow the surface to dry.

Intermissions in Hockey

The first two intermissions last fifteen and a half minutes (seventeen for televised games) in the NHL, and time is recorded by the game timekeeper and presented to fans on the scoreboard. During intermission, players leave the ice through doors in the boards and head to the locker rooms.

In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck entirely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to (see also own goal).

However, in other countries, "hockey" usually refers to field hockey. In 1994 hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875.

How many periods are there in ice hockey?

Competition procedure. A regular game consists of three 20-minute periods, with a 15-minute intermission after the first and second periods. Teams change ends for each period. If a tie occurs in a medal-round game, a five-minute sudden-victory overtime period is played.

The intermissions between periods are seventeen minutes long. Even if a player were to partake in all seven other things on the list, they would still likely have some time left over before the needed to return to the ice. Most players fill said extra time just by resting more, to ensure they can perform at their best.

As mentioned earlier, the intermission time is used to resurface the ice for optimal playing conditions. The 18-minutes mostly allows for the Zambonis (usually x2) to clean the ice, followed by the ice cleaning crew to mop away the any puddles and allow the surface to dry.