nhl overtime rules explained in detail 3vs3

NHL Overtime Rules Explained: Regular-Season vs Playoffs

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For drama and pure excitement, overtime hockey is second to none when it comes to professional sports. The NHL decided to do away with tie games several years ago and make sure each game has a winner. This is why overtime periods are used in both the regular-season and playoff hockey, but they couldn’t be more different.

In this article, I will explain the league’s overtime rules in the regular season and postseason.

Table of contents

What is Overtime in the NHL?

In simple terms, overtime is an extra amount of time added to the game when the score is tied after regulation time. The sole purpose of overtime in the NHL is to declare a winner of the game.

When a tied NHL game ends, the teams will play a five-minute period of sudden-death overtime to declare a winner. If the game is still tied after the overtime period, the game is then settled by a penalty shootout. 

Watch a full 3v3 NHL overtime period in the tweet below, where Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers scores:

NHL Overtime Rules Explained:

During the regular season, each team is allowed to have three skaters and a goalie on the ice during the 3-on-3 overtime period. The rules of the game remain the same, the only difference is you are playing 3 vs 3 instead of 5 vs 5. This allows for much more space on the ice surface, completely changing the pace and strategy of the game.

Penalties in OT

If one of the teams takes a two-minute penalty and it results in a shorthanded situation, the penalized team will play with three skaters and a goalie, while the attacking side will play with four skaters and a goalie. Once the penalty expires, each team utilizes four skaters until the next whistle, when the teams then revert back to three-skaters each.

If the same team gets two penalties simultaneously during overtime, the powerplay team will play with 5 players and the shorthanded team will play with 3.

How Long is Overtime?

The regular-season overtime period is set at five minutes. However, it’s a sudden-death format which means the first team to score wins the game.

What is a Shootout?

If the teams are still deadlocked after the overtime period the game goes to a shootout. A shootout is when each team begins by choosing 3 shooters. Each gets a one-on-one opportunity to score a goal

It consists of each team selecting a series of players to take individual and unopposed shots against the opposing goalie. It starts with three players from each team taking alternating individual shots, each starting at center ice and will begin on the whistle of the referee.

The score works best out of 3 and if the score is still tied after these shots, the shootout proceeds to a sudden-death format, with one player from each team taking a shot until a winner is determined.

For the complete rules and description of the NHL shootout, click here.

NHL Playoff Overtime Rules Explained:

When the playoffs begin the NHL changes the rules of its overtime session. The teams are now allowed to ice a full team of five skaters and a goaltender during postseason overtime. The 5-on-5 game remains sudden-death but a full 20 minute period of overtime is played with an intermission after each period.

If the teams remain tied, the game simply keeps on going until somebody scores. The longest playoff game in NHL history took place in the semifinals of the 1935/36 season when Mud Bruneteau of the Detroit Red Wings scored the winner at the 16:30 mark of the sixth overtime period for a 1-0 win over the Montreal Maroons.

Basically, playoff hockey overtime is played no differently than regulation game time; the only difference is its sudden-death. Penalties in playoff overtime periods are treated the same as during a regulation-time period.

For more information on playoff overtime please click here.

How Do Points Work in Overtime?

Team Points

During the NHL’s regular season, a team that wins a game in regulation time, overtime, or in a shootout earns two points in the league standings. A team that loses the game in overtime or a shootout will receive one point. However, a team that loses a game in regulation time will receive no points.

Winning a game in a shootout is the least preferred winning outcome due to the NHL’s tie-breaking rules at the end of the season. If two or more clubs find themselves tied for points in the standings when the season ends, the team with the most wins in regulation or overtime will finish higher in the standings.

Some hockey experts/fans would prefer the NHL to award three points to the winner of a game in regulation time, two points for winning in overtime or a shootout, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and no points for losing in regulation time.

Player/Individual Points and Stats

In both regular-season and playoff overtime, all of the players’ stats, such as goals, assists, penalty minutes, plus-minus, time on ice, shots on goal, and so on, are included in their individual season stats totals. A goal or assist in overtime always counts toward a player’s points for the year.

The same goes for goaltenders regarding goals-against average, save percentage, and saves.

However, if a game goes to a shootout, the goals scored and saves made aren’t included in the players’ season stats. The NHL does keep a separate shootout statistic section for teams and individuals, though.

Overtime Team Strategies Explained:

Coaches use various strategies in 3-on-3 overtime during the regular season to do whatever they think is best to win the game. These may differ from team to team but since there is so much room on the ice most strategies these days revolve around puck possession and speed.

Here are some strategies a couch may choose in overtime:

  • Most teams begin the overtime session with two forwards and a defenceman, with the team’s best faceoff man usually on the ice to help gain possession from the opening draw.
  • Some coaches may load up with three offensive-minded players.
  • Some coaches may opt for a combination of offensive and defensive-minded players, such as a pure goalscorer with a power forward up front and perhaps a stay-at-home defenceman.
  • Strong puck handlers are typically picked to start the overtime as the team doesn’t want to lose possession of the puck once they have it.

You need to score to win in overtime, so the team’s top offensive players and shooters are usually on the ice as often as possible.

Regarding possession, most teams will hold onto the puck if they feel there’s no clear-cut avenue to the net. You’ll often see the puck carrier come back outside of the offensive blue line into the neutral zone to give his team the chance to change players on the fly while keeping possession of the puck.

Speed is also key, as a quick transition can result in an overtime win or loss. 3 on 3 overtime often comes down to an odd-man rush, meaning the offensive team has a 2 on 1, 3 on 1, or 3 on 2 offensive break. Usually, this is when the winning team scores the goal.

NHL Overtime Evolution

While many fans may believe overtime hockey is a relatively new twist to the NHL, the league was actually using the system to decide games just over a century ago. However, it has changed a handful of times over the years.

1921/22 The league first introduced regular-season overtime in 1921/22 when it used a 5-on-5 sudden-death format which was played over a 20-minute period.
1927 The sudden-death overtime period was then shortened to 10 minutes in 1927.
1928 In 1928, the NHL kept the overtime period at 10 minutes, but it was no longer sudden-death. This meant the entire 10 minutes would be played, and the final score at the end of the overtime session would stand, including tie games.
1942 The league decided to get rid of regular-season overtime in 1942 during World War II due to wartime restrictions on travel and tie games stood.
1983/84 It wasn’t until 1983/84 that the league brought back regular-season overtime when it introduced a 5-on-5 sudden-death format over a period of five minutes.
1999 1999 the format became 4-on-4 over five minutes, and a team was awarded with a point for losing in overtime.
2005/06 The shootout was introduced in 2005/06 as a way to do away with all tie games.
2015/16 The 3-on-3 format came about in 2015/16.

 

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