Exploring the duration of hockey games provides insights for fans and curious observers. From regulation time to potential overtime and intermissions, unraveling the length of a match adds depth to understanding the sport’s dynamics.
How Many Hours Is A Hockey Game?
The average NHL hockey game is 2 hours and 29 minutes long for regular season games. Playoff games tend to be longer, lasting an average of 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Keep in mind that these figures are measured from when the puck drops to when the final whistle is blown.
How Many Hours Is A Hockey Game?
On average, regular season NHL games are 2 hours and 29 minutes long. That means if the puck drops at 7 PM, the game will be over around 9:29… but, not really.
You also have to take into account that NHL games start roughly 8 minutes after their scheduled start times. So, if a game starts at 7 PM, it will actually start at 7:08 PM and be over at around 9:37 PM.
The longest regular season game in 2023 was 3 hours and 2 minutes long, while the shortest game was 2 hours and 10 minutes long.
Playoff Games Are Longer
On average, playoff games are 15 minutes longer than regular season games, lasting around 2 hours and 44 minutes.
In regular season games, there is only one, five-minute overtime. If the teams tie in that overtime, the game proceeds to a shootout and lasts another ~6 minutes; then the game is over. In playoffs, however, there is no limit to the number of overtimes a team can play.
In the 2023 playoffs, the Panthers and Hurricanes famously went to quadruple to (4OT). The game lasted 5 hours and 44 minutes, from 8:10 PM to 1:54 AM.
The shortest playoff game in 2023 was 2 hours and 21 minutes long, while the longest playoff game was 5 hours and 44 minutes long.
How Long Will You Be At A Hockey Game?
For the average regular season game, you can expect to be at the arena for 2 hours and 29 minutes; this is measuring from the moment the puck drops to when the final whistle is blown.
Keep in mind that NHL games start roughly 8 minutes after the scheduled time. So, if a game starts a 7, it will actually start at 7:08 and be over at around 9:37 PM.
A general formula for how long you will be at the hockey game:
Game’s Schedule Time + 2 hours and 37 minutes
Playoff Games Are Longer
If the game you are going to see is a playoff game, it will likely be longer. This is because, unlike regular season games that are limited to 1 overtime, playoff games feature as many overtimes as necessary.
The typical playoff game is 15 minutes longer than regular season games, lasting 2 hours and 44 minutes long, again with games starting roughly 8 minutes after their scheduled time.
A general formula for how long you will be at a playoff game:
Game’s Schedule Time + 2 hours and 52 minutes
Playoff games, however, have the potential to go extremely long. For example, in the 2023 playoffs, one game between the Hurricanes and Panthers lasted 5 hours and 44 minutes, from 8:10 PM to 1:54 AM.
How Many Hours Is A Hockey Game That Goes To Overtime?
On average, regular season games that go to overtime are 5 minutes and 42 seconds longer than those that don’t. How is that possible when regular-season overtime is only 5 minutes long?
Although overtime is only 5 minutes long per NHL rules, there will usually be shoveling of the ice before the period as well as occasional stoppages during the overtime that extend the overtime’s duration. Additionally, roughly 32% of all games that go overtime, go to shootout, making the average time of overtime games that much longer.
How Many Hours Is A Hockey Game That Goes To A Shootout?
Hockey games that go to shootouts are roughly 11 minutes and 49 seconds longer than average, meaning, they are typically 2 hours and 41 minutes long in total.
In the 2022 NHL regular season, 7.2% of all games ended in a shootout; this translates to 95 out of 1,312 games played in the NHL.
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