NHL Overtime Rules for the Regular Season and Playoffs

For fans new to hockey, NHL overtime rules can seem complex, especially since they differ between the regular season and the playoffs. Understanding these differences is crucial, as overtime strategy plays a significant role in determining game outcomes.

This article breaks down the NHL overtime format for both regular-season and playoff games. By the end, you’ll have a full grasp of how NHL overtime works and why it’s one of the most exciting aspects of the game.

How Does Overtime Work in the NHL?

Regular Season Overtime Rules

During the NHL regular season, if a game is tied after 60 minutes of regulation play, it proceeds to a 5-minute, sudden-death overtime period played at 3-on-3 (excluding goaltenders). The first team to score wins the game immediately.

If neither team scores during the overtime period, the game moves to a shootout, where each team selects three players to take penalty shots. If the score remains tied after three rounds, the shootout continues in a sudden-death format until one team scores and the other does not. This means a game can never end in a tie. 

The team that wins in overtime or the shootout earns two points in the standings, while the losing team still receives one point for forcing the game past regulation.

Playoff Overtime Rules

NHL playoff overtime operates under a vastly different format compared to the regular season. If a postseason game is tied at the end of regulation, it moves into 20-minute, sudden-death overtime periods played at full strength (5-on-5).

Unlike the regular season, there is no shootout in the playoffs—teams continue playing until a goal is scored, determining the winner.

If no goal is scored in the first overtime period, there is a standard 15-minute intermission (not 17 minutes, as in regular intermissions), followed by additional 20-minute overtime periods until a goal is scored. This format continues indefinitely, making NHL playoff overtime one of the most grueling and intense aspects of the sport.

Some of the longest games in NHL history have stretched into multiple overtime periods, with players logging upwards of 100 minutes of ice time in a single game.

Key Differences Between Regular Season and Playoff Overtime

NHL overtime rules are designed to maximize excitement while ensuring fair competition. During the regular season, the 3-on-3 format creates fast-paced, high-scoring action. In contrast, playoff overtime is a true test of endurance, strategy, and mental toughness.

By understanding these key differences, you’ll be able to appreciate the thrilling nature of overtime hockey, whether it’s a regular-season battle or a playoff marathon.

Is Hockey Overtime Sudden Death?

Yes, all NHL overtime situations are sudden death, meaning the first team to score wins the game instantly. This applies to both regular season and playoff overtime, though the formats differ.

In some local, amateur, or international leagues, overtime rules may vary, and games might not always follow a sudden-death format. However, in professional hockey, sudden death is the standard.

If you’re used to sports like soccer or football, you may find hockey’s sudden-death overtime unique. While the NFL has a modified sudden-death format, where a touchdown ends the game immediately but a field goal allows the opposing team a chance to respond, hockey’s overtime system ensures that one goal instantly decides the outcome.

Did the NHL Always Have Overtime?

No, the NHL has not always had overtime. The league initially used overtime in the early days of hockey but was forced to eliminate it during World War II due to travel restrictions and wartime rationing.

Overtime did not return to the NHL until the 1983-84 season, when the league reintroduced a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period for the regular season. However, if no team scored in those five minutes, the game ended in a tie.

Before the NHL standardized sudden-death overtime, there were non-sudden-death overtime periods, meaning that even if a team scored, the full overtime period continued. If the game was still tied after overtime, it remained a tie.

Overtime in the NHL playoffs has rarely changed. However, new rules have been added and tweaked during the regular season over the last few decades. In the 2000-01 NHL season, they adopted a 4-on-4 format to reduce the number of ties and encourage more scoring.

With the introduction of the shootout in 2005, ties were completely eliminated from the NHL, ensuring that every game now has a decisive winner. Meanwhile, playoff overtime has always remained a sudden-death format, continuing indefinitely until a goal is scored.

Will the NHL Ever Change Sudden-Death Overtime?

While anything is possible, it’s unlikely the NHL will ever move away from sudden-death overtime. The format keeps the game thrilling, maintains competitive fairness, and ensures a decisive outcome. The current system, particularly in the playoffs, has created some of the most legendary moments in hockey history.

Will the NHL Change Overtime Rules?

There has been speculation that the NHL may eventually introduce an “over-and-back” rule, similar to basketball’s backcourt violation, to prevent excessive regrouping. This would force teams to stay in the offensive zone and create more continuous scoring chances rather than resetting in the neutral or defensive zone.

The NHL could also eventually extend overtime to 10 minutes from the current five minutes, to further limit the likelihood of going into a shootout. This proved to be quite popular in the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off tournament. 

For now, however, this is just speculation. The current 3-on-3 overtime format continues to deliver fast-paced, exciting hockey, making it one of the most thrilling aspects of the regular season.

Team Strategies During Overtime

The introduction of 3-on-3 overtime in the NHL dramatically changed how teams approach overtime strategy. With more open ice, speed and puck possession have become the most critical factors in securing a win.

Most teams deploy two forwards and one defenseman to maximize offensive chances while maintaining some defensive stability. Winning the faceoff is crucial, as regaining possession in 3-on-3 overtime is challenging—teams often rely on turnovers or stoppages to get the puck back.

Another key strategy is controlled regrouping. You may notice players skating backward into their own zone rather than forcing an immediate rush. This tactic allows them to reset, build speed, and create odd-man rushes or breakaway opportunities, increasing their chances of scoring.

If you see a player deliberately retreating with the puck in overtime, it’s not a mistake—it’s a calculated part of modern NHL overtime strategy. Teams prioritize possession over rushed offensive attempts, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

How Do Penalties Work in Overtime?

Penalties in NHL overtime follow a modified rule set depending on whether the game is in the regular season or playoffs.

Regular Season Overtime Penalty Rules

If a player commits a penalty during regular season overtime, the opposing team is awarded a 4-on-3 power play. The NHL avoids 3-on-2 power plays because no situation in a standard game ever results in just two skaters defending. The minimum number of skaters a team can have on the ice is always three.

• If the shorthanded team successfully kills the penalty, the penalized player returns to the ice, creating a 4-on-4 situation until the next whistle.

• At the next stoppage, teams revert to the standard 3-on-3 overtime format.

• If the power play team scores, the game ends immediately due to sudden death overtime.

Playoff Overtime Penalty Rules

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, overtime is played at full strength (5-on-5) rather than 3-on-3. As a result, penalties in playoff overtime function just as they would in regulation:

• A minor penalty results in a 5-on-4 power play for two minutes.

• A major penalty leads to a five-minute power play, and the shorthanded team cannot return to full strength even if a goal is scored.

Because there is no shootout in the NHL playoffs, special teams play an even more critical role in deciding games. Overtime power plays often determine the outcome, making discipline and penalty killing crucial for playoff success.

What is the longest OT in hockey?

The longest overtime game in NHL playoff history almost made it to the end of the sixth overtime period. It occurred in 1936 when the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons played 116 minutes of extra time. The Red Wings scored the only goal to win with a final score of 1-0. This works out to be almost nine full periods of hockey, or close to three complete games in one if you factor in the three periods of regulation play.

The cons of a no-tie system in the NHL

With all NHL games now having a winner and loser in all games, the outcome seems straightforward. But not all hockey purists agree with the current overtime and shootout format.

Fans against the system argue that there are now too many “three-point games” in the league. This refers to the losers receiving a point while the victors get two.

Theoretically, a club could lose all 82 games in overtime and shootouts in the regular season and still make the playoffs with 82 points.

Above all, some experts and fans feel the shootout isn’t a satisfactory way to determine the winner and loser of a game. These people generally feel the shootout is nothing more than a gimmick or novelty, and games should be decided in overtime.

But on the other side of the coin, those supporting shootouts counter the argument that three-on-three overtime is also a gimmick since regulation time features five-on-five play.

The Future

It is highly doubtful that pro hockey leagues will eliminate overtime in the future. Still, fans could see the NHL extend the extra period to 10 minutes from five. This would likely result in more games being decided in overtime rather than having to be determined by a shootout.

Either way, it means fans will likely never see another tie in a pro hockey game in the foreseeable future.

If you want to get a better sense of how 3-on-3 overtime hockey is played, then make sure to check out the highlight video below. It’s loaded with great overtime action!

How do points work in hockey overtime?

If you’re interested in learning more about how NHL team standings/points work and the differences in points from regulation and overtime wins/losses, then make sure to check out my in-depth guide on the NHL standings system.