The average hockey game lasts about two hours and fifteen minutes in the regular season and you have probably heard the term playoff hockey. Playoff hockey is just that; it is when the regular season is over and players and coaches want to compete. The average playoff time is the same as the regular season time, plus or minus a few minutes.
How Long Do Ice Hockey Games Last?
The 20-minute periods don’t include stoppages of play except for the intermission, which is equal to about five minutes of play. If the score between both teams is tied at the end, they will play a five-minute overtime period. If the score remains tied after five minutes of overtime, they will then have a shootout.
How Long Do Ice Hockey Games Actually Last?
The amount of time for a game is slightly longer because of the commercial breaks due to high ratings for hockey games. The game is also broken up into three periods. The first period always lasts for 20 minutes, second period lasts for 30 minutes and the last period lasts for 20 minutes. The NHL has different rules in the playoffs which results in longer games and more overtime periods.
Reasons for the Game Taking Longer to Complete
There are a few reasons why the official time clock stops during a hockey game. First, there are 15-minute intermissions between the first and second periods and the second and third where the Zamboni cleans the ice. You automatically get a new 15-minute break during the playoffs if the game is tied after three periods, and the Stanley Cup is 20 minutes of intermission. And secondly, the game usually runs long.
It is possible to fit even more commercials, but there is another factor why the game has more commercials than other sports. The game is not continuous action. There is a lot of action between the goals. The action stops between goals for commercial breaks, but there is a lot of action in between as well.
A break like a puck leaving the ice, an injury to the puck or penalty is usually a major event that stops the clock. These events occur roughly every two minutes.
What is the Longest NHL Game Ever?
The longest NHL game was also the longest hockey game in the history of North America. The game took place between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons. The game only lasted for a total of 176 minutes and 30 seconds of actual hockey game time.
Can Hockey Games End in a Tie?
Prior to the 2005 regular season, fans would invest hours into a game to get a tie and have teams continue into a shootout for a decision. Now, NHL teams continue into a shootout and determine a match winner via what team scores with the rule change.
How Long Do Other Professional League Games Take?
The standard time for a 15-minute intermission is 10 minutes. This allows for players to stretch and drink water. The standard time for a 17-minute intermission is 20 minutes. The extra minutes are used for players to stretch and rehydrate.
How Long Do Other Sports Take?
The NFL has almost 60 minutes, and the NBA has 48 minutes. The NHL has an average game length of three hours, but has been known to go as long as four hours. Finally, baseball doesn’t have a clock but it can take up to three hours to end a game.
Conclusion
One of the most unique things about playoff hockey is the fact that you can never tell when the games will end. One game can go on for over two hours and then end in less than ten minutes. For the die-hard fans who follow the various hockey teams, these playoff games mean more to them than just another hockey game.
