NHL overtime: How does it work? Regular season and ... - DAZN
The NHL regular season is almost here, with pre-season games now well underway ahead of the October start, and
www.dazn.comHere’s the latest on NHL overtime rules based on recent coverage.
- Regular-season overtime: The league generally uses a 3-on-3 overtime period lasting five minutes, followed by a shootout if no team scores. This format has been in place to reduce the number of shootouts and create more open play in OT.[1][5]
- Playoffs: Overtime is played in full 20-minute periods at 5-on-5, with sudden-death rules continuing until a goal ends the game. No shootouts occur in the playoffs.[3][5]
- Recent discussions: There has been ongoing debate about potentially extending overtime (e.g., longer OT or altered formats), but as of the most recent reporting, the league has not implemented a universal change to the standard regular-season OT format. Some analysts and media outlets have proposed options, while league officials have indicated concerns about unintended consequences of changes.[2][6]
Illustration of current structure:
- Regular season: 5-minute 3-on-3 OT -> if tied, shootout determines winner.[5][1]
- Playoffs: 20-minute 5-on-5 OT -> continues until a goal is scored.[3][5]
If you’d like, I can pull the exact wording from the latest NHL rulebook or summarize opinions from a specific source (e.g., ESPN, Sporting News) with direct quotes. Would you prefer a focused summary from a particular outlet or a brief pros/cons table of potential OT formats being discussed?[6][5]