The National Hockey League is one of the most exciting leagues in the world. The sport provides unmissable entertainment every night, with its speed, skill, and toughness. However, the sudden-death component in overtime heightens the excitement and drama, as clubs go up and down the ice, with scoring opportunities on both ends. 

Since the NHL implemented the 3-on-3 system in overtime for the regular season, there have been several highlights, including wild goals to end a game and amazing defensive stops to keep the game alive. 

And, of course, what better way to end the season than with overtime playoff hockey? Overtime regulations alter slightly between the regular season and the playoffs. The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have included some spectacular overtime endings.

Seven first-round games needed at least one extra session, with the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders going to a second overtime period throughout their series.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs went into overtime twice in the last three games of their seven-game series. After Toronto won Game 5 in overtime, David Pastrnak scored the series-clinching goal a little under two minutes into Game 7.

What are the NHL Overtime Rules?

The NHL has made a number of adjustments to its overtime system. Before the 2015-16 season, the league implemented 3-on-3 overtime. Prior to the NHL's decision to replace 4-on-4 with this format, the AHL and ECHL used it. 

NHL OT Rules for Preseason and Regular Season

• Teams play a five-minute extra period of 3 on 3 hockey.
• The overtime session is played in a sudden-death format, thus the first side to score wins.
• After five minutes, if no one has scored, the game proceeds to a shootout.
• Each team picks three shooters to compete in the three rounds of the shootout. Each team shoots once per round.
• The side that scores the most goals after three rounds wins the game.
• If the teams score the same number of goals in the three rounds, it proceeds round by round until one side scores and the other doesn't.

NHL OT Rules for Playoff Games

• If the game remains tied after regulation, both sides will play another full 20-minute round of overtime at 5-on-5 hockey.
• The game is once again in sudden-death format, and the first side to score wins.
• If no one scores in the first overtime session, the game goes into the second, the third, and so on until a team scores to win it.

Are there shootouts in NHL playoffs? 

Unlike the regular season, the playoffs do not feature shootouts. The longest game in NHL playoff history was played in 1936 when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Maroons in six overtimes. Detroit scored the game's sole goal at 176:30.

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