Overtime is a method of determining a winner in anice hockey game when the score is tied after regulation. The main methods of determining a winner in a tied game are the overtime period (commonly referred to asovertime), theshootout, or a combination of both. If league rules dictate a finite time in which overtime may be played, with no penalty shoot-out to follow, the game's winning team may or may not be necessarily determined.
A scoreboard showing an overtime period. Since there are typically three periods in hockey, the fourth period is the overtime period.
Overtime periods are extraperiods beyond the third regulation period during a game, where normal hockey rules apply. Although in the past, full-length overtime periods were played, overtimes today aregolden goal (a form ofsudden death), meaning that the game ends immediately when a player scores agoal.
From November 21, 1942,[1] when overtime (a non-sudden death extra period of 10 minutes duration) was eliminated due to war time restrictions and continuing through the1982–83 season, allNHL regular-season games tied after 60 minutes of play ended as ties. On June 23, 1983, the NHL introduced a regular-season sudden death overtime period of five minutes. If the five-minute overtime period ended with no scoring, the game ended as a tie. (The World Hockey Association had used a 10-minute, sudden death regular season overtime period during its seven-year existence.) In the first games to go to overtime, on October 5, 1983, the Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings skated to a 3–3 tie, and the Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets tied 6–6. The first regular-season game decided by overtime was on October 8, 1983, as the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 8–7.[2]
In1987–88 and since1995, theAmerican Hockey League has awarded teams one point in the standings for an overtime loss (OTL). In 1998, the AHL introduced a rule where teams will play the five-minute overtime period with four skaters and a goaltender, rather than at full strength (five skaters), except in two-man advantage situations. In a two-man advantage situation, the team with the advantage will play with five skaters against three skaters. The rule was popular and adopted by the NHL andECHL the next season.
In theStanley Cup playoffs and in alltiebreaker games, overtime periods are played like regulation periods – teams are at full strength (five skaters, barring penalties), there is no shootout, and each overtime period is 20 minutes with full intermissions between overtime periods. The game ends when either team scores a goal.
In many leagues (including the NHL for regular-season games since the2005–06 season) and in international competitions, a failure to reach a decision in a single overtime may lead to a shootout. Some leagues may eschew overtime periods altogether and end games in shootout should teams be tied at the end of regulation. In theECHL, theAHL, and theSouthern Professional Hockey League, regular season overtime periods are played three on three for one five-minute period, with penalties resulting in the opponents skating one additional player on ice (up to two additional players) for each penalty. If the penalised player returns to the ice, the game becomes 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 until the next stoppage of play, when it becomes 3-on-3. Prior to the2014–15 season, theAHL set the overtime period at seven minutes,[3] but reverted to the now-standard five-minute period the following year.[4] The idea of using 3-on-3 skaters for the entirety of a five-minute overtime period for a regular season game was adopted by the NHL on June 24, 2015, for use in the2015–16 NHL season.[5] TheECHL has changed the overtime to seven minutes for the 2019–20 season.
ThePWHL follows the same overtime procedure as the NHL for both preseason and regular season (5 minutes before scoring, plus shootouts) and the playoffs (multiple 20-minute periods before scoring).
Since 1999–00, the team losing in overtime in the NHL (and in most other leagues) receives one point in the standings. If, however, a team pulling its goaltender in overtime other than for a delayed penalty, and the opposing team then scores into the empty net, the team that was scored on forfeits its standings point. As of November 2025, this rule has only come into play twice in the NHL.[citation needed]
InIIHF play, rules for overtime depend on the stage of the competition.[6]
New overtime procedures debuted at the2019 IIHF World Championship that will be in effect for all IIHF championships, including from the2022 Winter Olympics hereafter. All overtime periods will be 3-on-3 regardless of round robin or preliminary (five minutes with a three-round shootout), knockout rounds including third place games (ten minutes with a five-round shootout), or the championship (twenty minutes, no shootout). In the championship game only, if that overtime is scoreless, a full intermission will be conducted before the procedure repeats. The overtime ends on whoever scores next. In all cases, teams will change ends.[7]
In international competition,shootouts (or more formally,game-winning shots (GWS), and in some European countries,bullets, orbullits[8][9]), are often used. Each coach selects three skaters from their team to takepenalty shots one at a time against the opposinggoaltender, with teams alternating shots. Each team gets one shot per round. The winner is the team with more goals after three rounds or the team that amasses an unreachable advantage before then (e.g., a team gains a two-goal lead with only one round left). If the shootout is tied after three rounds, tie-breaker rounds are played one at a time (with each team taking one additional shot) until there is a winner.
The IIHF first adopted the game-winning-shot procedure in 1992 when a new playoff procedure in the Winter Olympics and World Championships required a winner for each game. At that time, the shootout was five rounds and only used for knock-out games. In 2006, it was reduced to three rounds and used for all games, eliminating the possibility of tied games at IIHF events. Tie-breaker rounds are still used as needed, and the same or new players can take the tie-break shots, which is also done in reverse order.[10] As of May 2016, all IIHF preliminary round games that are not decided by overtime, are decided by a three-round shootout. However, all playoff & bronze medal games of IIHF top level championships (especially the Olympics) are decided by five round shootouts.[6] Since 2018 it's five rounds of shootout for all games including round robin games.
Since 2019, the gold-medal game uses multiple 20-minute overtime periods of 3-on-3, and applies to both genders.
Most lower minor leagues (ECHL, Central,UHL) have featured a shootout where, at the end of regulation, a shootout similar to the international tournament format is used.
However, in 2000, the ECHL adopted the AHL's four-on-four overtime before the shootout.
For the2004–05 AHL season, the AHL adopted a five-man shootout, which was first used in that league in 1986–87. The standard five-man shootout is used after four-on-four overtime for all minor leagues in North America. The AHL switched to the NHL formatted three-man shootout for the 2014–15 season.[3]
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association added the shootout as of the 2008–09 season.
Following the lead of minor leagues, in the NHL's first post-lockout season of2005–06, the league ends exhibition and regular season games still tied after a five-minute-length, three-skaters-per-side overtime period (as of the2015–16 NHL season onwards) with a shootout. The NHL format is a three-round shootout with tiebreaker rounds as needed. All skaters (except goalies) on a team's roster must shoot before any player can shoot a second time. On December 16, 2014, the longest shootout in NHL history went to 20 rounds beforeNick Bjugstad of theFlorida Panthers scored to defeat theWashington Capitals; the previous record was 15 rounds.[11]
The shootout is not used in the playoffs for any major North American league. Instead, full 20-minute overtime periods are played untilone team scores a goal.
Tactics are very important during penalty shots and overtime shootouts for both the shooter and the goalie. Both shooters and goalies commonly consult their teammates and coaches for advice on the opposing player's style of play. Shooters often consider the goalie's strengths and weaknesses (such as a fast glove or sticksave), preferred goaltending style (such asbutterfly orstand-up) and method of challenging the shooter. Goaltenders often consider the shooter's shot preference, expected angle of attack, a patented move a shooter commonly uses and even handedness of the shooter.
Most shooters attempt toout-deke the goalie in order to create a better scoring chance. FormerDetroit Red Wings forwardPavel Datsyuk andTampa Bay Lightning forwardMartin St. Louis are examples of players who commonly use this tactic. However, it is not uncommon for a shooter to simply shoot for an opening without deking. This is commonly referred to assniping. This is most commonly performed when a goalie challenges a shooter by giving them an open hole (by keeping a glove, pad or stick out of position or being out of sound goaltending position altogether to tempt the shooter to aim for the given opening). Former NHL forwardsMarkus Näslund andBrett Hull are two players commonly referred to assnipers. Very rarely a shooter may take aslapshot orwrist shot from thepoint or top of theslot. This is almost exclusively performed when a shooter either has a high level of confidence in their shot or they attempt to catch the goalie by surprise. Retired players such asBrian Rolston,Todd Bertuzzi,Chris Pronger, andDaniel Sedin have all used this tactic with success.
March 24, 1936: TheDetroit Red Wings'Mud Bruneteau ends the longest Stanley Cup playoff game to date, scoring the game's only goal in a 1–0 victory over theMontreal Maroons. The goal came at 116:30 of sextuple overtime, for a total of 176:30 of game play. It is also the longest NHL game played, being a mere 3:30 short of the equivalent of playing three games back-to-back-to-back.Normie Smith made an unofficial record 92 saves in that game.
February 4, 1939: TheBoston Bruins'Mel Hill scores his third overtime goal of the Bruins' Stanley Cup semi-final series against theNew York Rangers, setting an unsurpassed (as of now) NHL record for most overtime goals in a single playoff series, earning him the nickname thereafter of "Sudden Death" Hill. The series itself involves four overtime games, two of which go to triple overtime.
April 23, 1950:Pete Babando scores at 8:31 of double overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 4–3 win for the title in the seventh game of the1950 Stanley Cup Finals over the New York Rangers. It is the first time that a seventh game of a Final series goes to overtime.
April 21, 1951:Bill Barilko scores at 2:53 of overtime to give theToronto Maple Leafs a 3–2 win in the fifth game of the1951 Stanley Cup Finals over theMontreal Canadiens for a 4–1 title victory. All five games in the series need to have overtime to be decided. Barilko was killed in a private plane crash in a remote part of northern Ontario a few months later. His story later serves as inspiration for the song "Fifty Mission Cap" by the Canadian bandThe Tragically Hip.
April 16, 1954:Tony Leswick's shot hit Montreal Canadiens' defencemanDoug Harvey's glove and went into the net at 4:20 of overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 2–1 win and the title in the seventh game of the1954 Stanley Cup Finals over the Canadiens. No seventh game of a Final series has gone to overtime since.
April 23, 1964:Bobby Baun of theToronto Maple Leafs nets a game winner against Detroit 1:43 into overtime in game six of the Finals to tie the series 3–all. The goal is notable because Baun broke his ankle earlier in the game. It was frozen and taped, and Baun returned to the ice to score the winning goal.
May 10, 1970: One of the most indelible moments in sports history is the sight ofBobby Orr's "in flight" goal that gave the Boston Bruins a 4–3 win and a four-game sweep of theSt. Louis Blues for the title.
May 24, 1980:Bob Nystrom of theNew York Islanders scores the Stanley Cup clinching goal at 7:11 of overtime, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games for the title.
April 14, 1981: After sitting on the bench for the entire game,Mike Crombeen scored the winning goal at 5:16 of double overtime to give theSt. Louis Blues a 4–3 win over thePittsburgh Penguins.
April 10, 1982: "Miracle on Manchester" – RookieDaryl Evans gives theLos Angeles Kings a 6–5 win over theEdmonton Oilers at 2:35 of overtime. The Kings had trailed the Oilers 5–0 after the second period of game three of the Smythe Division semifinal. This still remains the largest single game playoff comeback in NHL history.
May 12, 1986:Doug Wickenheiser's overtime goal gives the St. Louis Blues a 6–5 win over theCalgary Flames in game six of the Campbell Conference Final. The goal, known as the "Monday Night Miracle", caps a 5–2 comeback and makes it more impressive that the three goals needed to tie the game were scored in the last ten minutes of the third period.
May 18, 1986: ABrian Skrudland goal ends the shortest overtime in NHL history at just nine seconds. The winning goal gives the Montreal Canadiens a 3–2 victory over the Calgary Flames in game two of the1986 Stanley Cup Finals.
May 15, 1990: After hardly playing in overtime,Petr Klima came off the bench late in triple overtime and scored almost immediately to end the longest overtime in NHL Finals history, with 4:47 left. The goal gave the Edmonton Oilers a 3–2 victory over the Boston Bruins to open the1990 Stanley Cup Finals, setting the stage for the Oilers' fifth cup in seven years.
April 24, 1993: In game four of the Adams division semifinal between theBuffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins, Sabres forwardBrad May scores in overtime to give Buffalo a 6–5 win and a four-game sweep of the Bruins in the series. Due to Buffalo commentatorRick Jeanneret's colorful play call when May scored, this game has been referred to in Buffalo as "May Day".
April to June 1993: After losing in overtime of game one of the Adams division semifinal to theQuebec Nordiques, the Montreal Canadiens go on to win ten consecutive overtime games en route to winning theStanley Cup. The Habs score another overtime winner the following year against the Boston Bruins, making it eleven consecutive playoff overtime wins.
May 14, 1993: In game seven of the Patrick Division finals,David Volek, who spent most of the season as a healthy scratch, scored the series winning goal to give theNew York Islanders a 4–3 victory ending thePittsburgh Penguins chances at a three-peat.
April 27, 1994:Dominik Hašek of the Buffalo Sabres stops all 70 shots produced by theNew Jersey Devils asDave Hannan scores the lone goal over a sprawlingMartin Brodeur at 5:43 of quadruple overtime in game six of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup.
April 30, 1994:Pavel Bure scores 2:20 into double overtime of the seventh game of the opening round of Vancouver's playoff series with Calgary. The win gives theVancouver Canucks three consecutive overtime wins over the favoredCalgary Flames, who squander a 3–1 series lead.
May 27, 1994:Stéphane Matteau scores the game-winning goal at 4:24 of double overtime with a wrap-around, beatingMartin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils in game seven, advancing theNew York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals (where they would ultimately win it for the first time since 1940). It is Matteau's second goal in double overtime periods of the series. The game is best known for Rangers announcerHowie Rose's emphatic radio call of the winning goal.
April 24, 1996:Petr Nedvěd scores with 44.6 seconds remaining in quadruple overtime to give thePittsburgh Penguins a 3–2 win over theWashington Capitals to tie their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at two games apiece.
June 10, 1996:Uwe Krupp became the 12th player in NHL history, and the first in 16 years, to end the Stanley Cup Finals in overtime, scoring a goal at 4:31 of triple overtime, giving theColorado Avalanche a 1–0 win and a sweep of theFlorida Panthers for the title.
June 19, 1999:Brett Hull scores with 5:09 left in triple overtime of game six to win the title for theDallas Stars over theBuffalo Sabres. The goal is considered controversial by some fans due to disagreement on if the goal by Hull was legal or not. (see1999 Stanley Cup Finals). Dallas won 2–1 for a 4–2 title victory.
June 8, 2000:Jason Arnott scores on Dallas Stars' goalieEd Belfour in double overtime of game six to give the New Jersey Devils their second title.
April 11, 2007:Roberto Luongo, goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks, wins his first career playoff game while making 72 saves, one shy of Kelly Hrudey's record.Henrik Sedin scores the winning goal at 18:06 of quadruple overtime in Game 1 of the Western quarterfinals, beating the Dallas Stars 5–4. The game is Vancouver's longest in history, and the Stars' second longest, behind their five-overtime loss to Anaheim in 2003.
May 4, 2008:Brenden Morrow scores onSan Jose Sharks goalieEvgeni Nabokov at 9:03 of quadruple overtime in game six of the Western Conference Semi-final between the Sharks and Stars. The game sees an incredible goaltending duel as Nabokov makes 53 saves in the loss whileMarty Turco of Dallas makes 61 saves for the win.
April 27, 2011:Alexandre Burrows of theVancouver Canucks scored at 5:22 of overtime pastCorey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks to win the series 4–3 and the game 2–1, sending the Canucks to the Western Conference Semifinals, avoiding squandering a 3–0 series lead and a 1–0 lead in game seven in the third period.
June 4, 2011: Another Burrows goal ends the second-shortest overtime in NHL history at just eleven seconds. The winning goal gives the Vancouver Canucks a 3–2 victory over the Boston Bruins in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals.
May 25, 2012:Adam Henrique of the New Jersey Devils scored at 1:03 into overtime pastHenrik Lundqvist of theNew York Rangers in game six of the Eastern Conference Final to send the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2003.
May 13, 2013:Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins scored at 6:05 of overtime pastJames Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the series 4–3 and the game 5–4, to send the Bruins to the Conference Semifinals to face the Rangers. It also capped a historic comeback in a game seven, coming back from a three-goal deficit in the third period. With fifty–one seconds to go, they tied the game. The tying goal was also scored by Bergeron. The 2012–13 Boston Bruins became the first team in NHL history to do so in theStanley Cup playoffs.
June 12, 2013:Andrew Shaw scored with 7:52 left in triple overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks beat theBoston Bruins 4–3 to open the Stanley Cup Finals, ending the fifth-longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history.
June 13, 2014:Alec Martinez took a rebound off a Tyler Toffoli shot blocked by Henrik Lundqvist and scored with 5:17 left in double overtime in game five of the2014 Stanley Cup Finals, becoming the 16th player to win the Stanley Cup with an overtime goal as theLos Angeles Kings beat the New York Rangers 3–2, clinching the title 4–1 in the longest game in Kings history to that point (total game time 94:43). He became the first player to score two series-clinching playoff overtime goals in the same season sinceMartin Gélinas in 2004; on June 1, he scored 5:47 into overtime to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5–4 in game seven of the Western Conference Finals.
May 13, 2015:Derek Stepan scored with 8:36 left in the first overtime in game seven in the Eastern Conference second round against theWashington Capitals to send theNew York Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Capitals also had a 3–1 series lead before losing the final three games and ultimately losing the series.
May 19, 2015:Marcus Kruger scored with 3:48 left in the third overtime in game two of the Western Conference Finals, as the Chicago Blackhawks beat theAnaheim Ducks, 3–2, tying the series at 1–1. This was Anaheim's first playoff loss at home that season and Chicago's longest overtime game to date. Chicago goalieCorey Crawford made 60 saves while defencemanDuncan Keith played seconds shy of 50 minutes on ice. Earlier in the second overtime period, Andrew Shaw used his head to direct the puck into the net, but the goal did not count.
April 24, 2016:John Tavares scored the series-winner with 9:19 left in double overtime in game six of the Eastern Conference first round as the New York Islanders won a playoff series for the first time since 1993, beating the Florida Panthers 2–1, for a 4–2 series victory. He beat Roberto Luongo off a rebound of his own shot with a wraparound. It ended the longest home game in Islanders' history. Tavares also scored with 53.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Three of those games in this series have gone to overtime, this and game five needed two.
May 6, 2016:Mike Fisher scored with 8:48 left in triple overtime in game four of the Western Conference second round as theNashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks, 4–3, to tie the series at two games all. His goal ended the longest playoff game in Predators' history.Joe Pavelski could have won it at 7:34 of overtime, but officials waved it off as he crashed intoPekka Rinne, pinning him down before the puck crossed the goal line.
May 25, 2017:Chris Kunitz scored at 5:09 of double overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators to advance to play the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Finals in winning game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, 3–2.Sidney Crosby sent a soft backhand pass to Kunitz, whose knuckling shot beatCraig Anderson from the right faceoff circle.
May 7, 2018:Evgeny Kuznetsov scored at 5:27 of overtime as the Washington Capitals eliminated the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in game six of the Eastern Conference second round to advance to the Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.Alexander Ovechkin passed the puck back to Kuznetsov, who tapped it away from Sidney Crosby on a turnover before beatingMatt Murray between the pads.
April 21, 2019:Tomáš Hertl scored the first short-handed overtime goal in a multiple overtime game in Stanley Cup playoff history with his goal at 11:17 in double overtime to beat the hostVegas Golden Knights 2–1 to force a seventh game in the Western Conference first round. Sharks goalieMartin Jones saved 58 of the Knights' 59 shots, a Sharks playoff game record.[16]
April 24, 2019:Brock McGinn deflected a pass fromJustin Williams past Capitals' goaltenderBraden Holtby at 11:05 into double overtime as theCarolina Hurricanes defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals 4–3 in the third longest game seven in league history.[17]
August 11, 2020:Brayden Point scored his second goal of the game at 10:27 of quintuple overtime as theTampa Bay Lightning beat theColumbus Blue Jackets 3–2 in game one of the Eastern Conference first round. This was the fourth-longest game in the history of the league (which turned out to be the longest in twenty years). Columbus goalieJoonas Korpisalo made 85 saves, breaking the record in any NHL game, with the previous playoff record held byKelly Hrudey (73, onApril 18, 1987).[18] This was also the longest game to be played at a neutral site.
May 25, 2021:Kyle Connor scored at 6:52 of triple overtime as theWinnipeg Jets beat theEdmonton Oilers 4–3, to end their North Division semifinal series. The goal capped the longest game in Jets/Thrashers' franchise history and completed the Jets' first ever playoff sweep.
May 3, 2022:Evgeni Malkin scored at 5:58 of triple overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the host New York Rangers, 4–3, to open the Eastern Conference first round. Rangers goalieIgor Shesterkin made 79 saves off Pens' 83 shots, a Rangers playoff game record.Louis Domingue became the first goaltender to enter a playoff game after multiple overtime periods when he entered the game at 9:18 of double overtime following an injury to Pittsburgh goaltenderCasey DeSmith.
April 29, 2023:John Tavares scored at 4:36 of the overtime to end the Toronto Maple Leafs' 19-year series win drought, as they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2–1 in Game 6. Toronto became the first team to win three overtime games on the road in one playoff series.
May 12, 2023:Nick Cousins scored at 15:32 of the first overtime as the Florida Panthers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 27 years, eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a 3–2 triumph as they earned a 4–1 series victory.
May 18, 2023:Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12.7 seconds remaining in quadruple overtime as the Florida Panthers beat theCarolina Hurricanes, 3–2, to open the Eastern Conference Finals. Panthers goalieSergei Bobrovsky saved 63 of the Hurricanes' 65 shots, a Panthers playoff game record, in the sixth-longest game in NHL history.
May 4, 2025:Adam Lowry scored at 16:10 of double overtime as the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 4–3 in game seven of the Western Conference first round, and advanced to the second round. This came afterCole Perfetti scored to tie the game at 19:57 of the third period, to date this is the latest tying goal in a game seven in NHL history.[19]
June 4, 2025:Leon Draisaitl scored his second goal of the game with 31 seconds left in overtime on a power play goal as the Edmonton Oilers beat the defending champion Florida Panthers 4-3 to open the Stanley Cup rematch finals.
The longest game in Belarusian extraleague is game five of the 2021 Quarter-finals on March 10–11, 2021. HC Neman Grodno beat the HK Gomel, 2–1, at Gomel Ice Palace of Sports on a goal by Krystian Dziubiński at 9:04 of sextuple overtime. Maxim Gorodetsky was the winning goaltender for the Neman, making 78 saves.[33]
March 22, 2008:Philip Gogulla of theCologne Sharks ends the longest German hockey game and the third longest worldwide, scoring the ninth-overall goal in a 5:4 victory over theMannheim Eagles. The goal comes 8:16 of sextuple overtime for a total of 108:16 of overtime. It is the third quarter-final game (best of seven) in theKölnarena in Cologne in front of an audience of 17,000. The game had begun at 5:30 pm and ends at 12:15 am.
March 12, 2017:Joakim Jensen of theStorhamar Ishockey ends the longest hockey game in history, scoring with 2:46 left in octuple overtime for a total of 157:14 of overtime, and 217:14 of hockey played. It was Game 5 of the quarter-finals of the2016–17 GET-ligaen playoffs against theSparta Warriors in theCC Amfi. About 1,000 out of the 5,500 people that attended the game watched the entire game. The game started at 18:00 and ended at 2:32 the next morning.[34]
York UniversityLions andLakehead UniversityThunderwolves went to a fourth overtime period (50:13 minutes of overtime) on February 14, 2007, inThunder Bay, Ontario, to decide a winner in OUA men's playoff hockey action. Lakehead won the game at the 13-second mark of the fourth overtime period.
Morgan McHaffie scored at 7:14 of sextuple overtime to lead theQueen's Golden Gaels to a 2–1 win over the hostGuelph Gryphons in the first game of the best-of-three OUA women's hockey final, March 2, 2011. The game, which lasted 167 minutes and 14 seconds, including 107:14 of extra time, is the longest on record in CIS or NCAA hockey – women's or men's. Winning goaltender Mel Dodd-Moher made 66 saves, while Danielle Skoufranis made 44 saves in a losing cause. It is the longest game played sanctioned byHockey Canada and the longest in college hockey history.
On May 12, 2008, one of the longest games in IHL history, if not the longest, took place inFort Wayne, Indiana. It was the seventh game of theTurner Cup Final between the hometownFort Wayne Komets andPort Huron Icehawks. The game was tied 2–2 through regulation. The first two extra periods solved nothing, but 23 seconds into the third overtime period, at some point after midnight ET, Justin Hodgman scored the winning goal to give the Komets their fifth Turner Cup title. It was the club's first since 1993, and their sixth overall, with their last championship being theColonial Cup in 2003. The Komets would win again the following year with an easy game five victory at home, which was the first time in franchise history they won back-to-back championships. They would follow up with a third consecutive Turner Cup in 2010, again clinching on home ice, securing a dynasty.
On April 25, 2018, in game 5 of the 2018VHL finals,SKA-Neva defeatedHC Dinamo Saint Petersburg 4–3 in a game that needed 103:36 of overtime to be settled. Svyatoslav Grebinshchikov scored the game-winning goal 3:36 of sextuple overtime.[38]
The longest game in NCAA hockey history was played atNotre Dame inNotre Dame, Indiana, on March 6, 2015.UMass beatNotre Dame, 4–3, in theHockey East first round with 8:18 left in quintuple overtime. Shane Walsh scored the winning goal just after 1:00 am local time.[39][40]
The previous longest was played on March 12, 2010.Quinnipiac University beatUnion College, 3–2, in theECAC Quarterfinals, as Greg Holt scored with 9:38 left in quintuple overtime. The 3rd longest game in NCAA hockey history (the longest game in NCAA playoff history) was played on March 27–28, 2021. TheUniversity of Minnesota Duluth beat theUniversity of North Dakota 3–2. Luke Mylymok scored the game-winning goal with 17:47 left in quintuple overtime.[41][42] The 4th longest game in NCAA hockey history was played on March 5, 2006.Yale University beat Union College, 3–2, in theECAC Hockey League first-round playoff game after 81:35 of overtime.David Meckler scored the winning goal with Yale shorthanded.[43]
The longest game inNCAA Division III hockey history, and the fourth longest in NCAA history overall, began at 7:05 pm on February 27, 2010, and ended at 12:35 am of the following day.Gustavus Adolphus College beatAugsburg College, 6–5, to advance to theMIAC championship game after 78:38 of overtime. Eric Bigham scored the winning goal.[44]
A 2000 NCAA regional final in men's ice hockey between St. Lawrence University and Boston University ended with 63:53 of overtime. Manitoba native and minor hockey buddy of Craig McAulay, Robin Carruthers scored the game-winning goal after four periods of overtime play
A March 30, 1991, game betweenNorthern Michigan University andBoston University ended with Northern Michigan earning an 8–7 victory over Boston University. Unlikely hero Darryl Plandowski scores in the third overtime period and fifth hour of play to give the Wildcats the title.
A March 14, 2003, ECAC Quarterfinal game betweenColgate University and Dartmouth ended, 4–3 for Colgate, after 61:05 in overtime.
On March 26, 2006, the Wisconsin Badgers beat theCornell Big Red 1–0 at 11:13 into the third overtime at the Midwest Regional Final in theNCAA Tournament at theResch Center inGreen Bay. It was the second-longest NCAA Tournament game in its history and the longest 1–0 game in tournament history. It is currently the ninth-longest game all-time in NCAA Division I history.
A March 11, 2007, game betweenSt. Cloud State University andUniversity of Minnesota Duluth during the first round of theWCHA playoffs ended with SCSU winning, 3–2, after 51:33 of overtime. It is the eighth-longest NCAA Division I game in history.
In the first round of the 2008WCHA hockey tournament featuring the fourth-seededMinnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks hosting the seventh-seededUniversity of Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Friday and Sunday games both went into double overtime, and the Saturday night game went into one overtime. The Gophers prevailed two games to one in the series, winning Saturday and Sunday.
On March 3, 2012, in the first round of the 2012ECAC Hockey hockey tournament featuring the seventh-seededClarkson Golden Knights men's ice hockey team hosting the tenth-seededRPI Engineers men's ice hockey team, Clarkson beat RPI 4–3 at 13:48 in the third overtime period, after 113:48 of play. It is currently the seventh-longest game all-time in NCAA Division I history.
On March 10, 1996, New Hampshire defeated Providence, 3–2, in an ECAC Women's Championship game after 85:35 of overtime. (This is not an NCAA record, as the NCAA did not officially recognize women's hockey until the 2001 season; however, it stands as the longest women's college hockey game)[45]
On March 10, 2007, Wisconsin defeated Harvard, 1–0, in an NCAA women's quarterfinal game after 67:09 of overtime at the Kohl Center in Madison WI. Wisconsin went on to win the national championship.
On March 10, 2012, Cornell University defeated Boston University, 8–7, in an NCAA women's quarterfinal game after 59:50 of overtime at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York, surpassing the men's game from the previous night as the longest hockey game to be played at the rink.[46]
On March 21, 2010, Minnesota–Duluth defeated Cornell 3–2 in the NCAA championship game, after 59:26 of overtime (119:26 total game time), the longest men's or women's hockey championship game in NCAA history.[47]
The longest game in Memorial Cup history was played on May 23, 2014, inLondon, Ontario, where in the semi-final game, Curtis Lazar scored at 2:42 of triple overtime as theEdmonton Oil Kings beat theVal-d'Or Foreurs 4–3 to advance to the championship game. The entire overtime lasted 42:42, the overall game time played was 102:42.
The longest game in WHL & CHL history was played on April 2, 2017, inVictoria, British Columbia, in Game 6 of Round 1 between theEverett Silvertips andVictoria Royals. Cal Babych scored with 8:24 left in quintuple overtime to beat the Royals 3–2 to win the series 4–2. The overtime length was 91:36 while the total game time played was 151:36.
The semi-final game for the 2007 RBC Cup, saw the host Prince George Spruce Kings taking on the Camrose Kodiaks. The game ended up being the longest game in Royal Bank Cup history at 146 minutes and 1 second. The Spruce Kings broke a 2–2 tie just over six minutes into quintuple overtime to win 3–2 and clinch a berth in the RBC Cup Final against the Aurora Tigers. Jason Yuel of the Spruce Kings scored the winner while goaltender Jordan White stopped 91 of 93 shots for the victory.
On February 10, 2007, theToronto Jr. Canadiens defeated thePickering Panthers, 4–3, to take a 2–0 series lead in the first round of theOPJHL playoffs, after 84:32 of the 5th overtime. It is the second longest junior hockey game played sanctioned byHockey Canada.
February 1999, the St. Catharines Falcons defeated the Port Colborne Sailors 7–6 to take a 2–1 series lead in the semi-finals of the Golden Horseshoe Jr. B Hockey League playoffs. Peter Lacey scored 11 minutes into quintuple overtime, ending the game at 2:18 am. The game started at 7:30 pm. It is the longest junior hockey game sanctioned by Hockey Canada
On February 20, 2020, in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, Black River Falls Co-op vs. Viroqua Co-op girls went a total of six overtimes - a combination of 8 and 12 minute overtimes - total elapsed playtime of 122 minutes, 51 seconds, a new US High School Record. Black River Falls won 2–1 in sextuple overtime. Viroqua goalie Abby Severson stopped 108 of 110 shots in the game.[48]
Marquette vs Orchard Lake St Marys went eight overtimes during theMichigan State Ice Hockey Division 1 Championship game before Tournament officials stopped the game in consideration of the health and welfare of the players on March 8, 2008. The 1–1 tie resulted in the two teams being declared co-champions. The game lasted 109 minutes.[49] Ryan Morley Stockton of St. Mary's had a MHSAA-record 58 saves.[50]
In a 1996FCIAC quarterfinal matchup inDarien, Connecticut, between archrivalsWilton andRidgefield, Wilton's Bill Lenich scored after 104 minutes of hockey, in the 8th eight-minute overtime period.[51]
The longest game in American high school history was anAurora High School–Solon High School game in which Aurora won in the eighth overtime period of theOhio state playoffs.[52] The winning goal was scored with 3:52 left in the 8th overtime (105th minute), setting an American record.[53]
Since 2015, most state tournaments allow up to 5 overtime periods (4-on-4 after first overtime), after which best-of-3-round shootouts and extra rounds if needed are conducted, to eliminate co-champions.
^Teams played a 10-minute "regular" overtime period, followed by 15-minute "extra" overtime periods. The winning goal was scored at 13:52 of the fourth "extra" overtime period. Montreal Gazette, March 29, 1930, page 20 and Toronto Daily Star, March 29, 1930, page 10.
^This was the second game of atwo-game total-goals series. Montreal won the first game 1–0. Chicago won the second game 2–1, making the aggregate score 2–2. Sudden-death overtime was used to break the tie, and was considered part of the second game. teams played a 10-minute "regular" overtime period, followed by a 30-minute "extra" overtime period, and another "extra" overtime period. The winning goal was scored at 11:43 of the second "extra" overtime period. Montreal Gazette, March 27, 1930, page 16.
^Teams played a 10-minute "regular" overtime period followed by a continuous, unlimited, sudden-death overtime period. The winning goal was scored at 35:35 of that period. Montreal Gazette, March 21, 1930, page 18.
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Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR)
Germany (GER)
Canada (CAN)
United States (USA)
