NHL overtime rules: How are OT games settled in the regular season?

Modified Aug 27, 2023 06:24 GMT

2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition — NHL overtime rules: How are OT games settled in the regular season?

When a regular season NHL game remains deadlocked after three periods of play, fans are treated to a thrilling spectacle known as overtime. But what are the rules that govern these intense moments on the ice?

Let's delve into the NHL overtime rules and explore how these nail-biting extra sessions are played out.

The Overtime Period: A Five-Minute Dash

When the final buzzer sounds after the third period and the score remains tied, the teams enter into a sudden-death overtime period. Overtime in the NHL is a five-minute period, but it is played with a few unique twists that set it apart from the regular game. The most notable of these is the reduction in the number of players on the ice.

Three-on-Three Hockey: High-Speed Action

Traditionally, hockey is played with five skaters and a goaltender per team on the ice. However, in overtime, this configuration changes. Both teams have only three skaters each, creating a three-on-three scenario. This format was adopted at the beginning of the 2015-16 NHL.

Penalties in Overtime: Changing Dynamics

As in regulation play, penalties can dramatically impact the flow of the game. If a team takes a penalty during overtime, the dynamics shift slightly. The team on the power play gains an advantage by adding a fourth skater to the ice, resulting in a four-on-three scenario. If the penalty-killing team commits an additional infraction, the game shifts to a five-on-three situation, further intensifying the drama.

Once the penalized player's time is served, they rejoin the game, and both teams revert to even strength at four-on-four until the next stoppage of play. At that point, the game returns to its standard three-on-three format.

What If no Team scores? Shootouts enter the scene

In such cases, the NHL has a solution to ensure a decisive outcome: the shootout. The shootout is a dramatic spectacle that pits individual skills against the goaltender's skills. Each team designates three players to participate in the shootout, and they take turns going one-on-one against the opposing goaltender.

The player starts from center ice and has a chance to showcase their skills in an attempt to score. After the three rounds, if the shootout remains tied, the competition advances to sudden death rounds.

Sudden Death Shootout: A Decisive Winner

In the sudden death rounds of the shootout, the rules remain the same, but there's a crucial twist. Each team takes alternating shots, and the first team to score while the other team doesn't secure the victory. This format ensures a definitive end to the game and prevents the shootout from continuing indefinitely.