NHL overtime rules: Explaining how OT works in hockey playoffs
These games can go forever.
www.sportingnews.comHere’s the latest on NHL playoff overtime rules.
Direct answer
- In the 2025 playoffs, overtime returns to a full 20-minute, five-on-five format with sudden death, continuing for as many periods as needed until a goal decides the game. Regular-season 3-on-3 OT and shootouts are not used in the playoffs. This format can produce very long games, including multiple overtime periods.[1][2][3]
Key details
- Overtime structure: If tied after regulation, teams play 20-minute overtime periods, switching ends each period, with the clock running until a goal ends the game. If no goal is scored, the next overtime period begins immediately. This repeats until someone scores.[3]
- Playoff emphasis: All postseason overtime is 5-on-5, and penalties in overtime are enforced as in regulation; power plays apply if a penalty occurs, and the overtime continues until a goal is scored. There is no shootout in the playoffs.[9][3]
- Situational notes: The league reviews goals in overtime for eligibility, as with regulation goals, to ensure no disallowed maneuvers or infractions affected the outcome.[1]
Context and sources
- Reports covering the 2025 NHL playoffs describe the shift away from the prior 3-on-3 format used in some regular-season OT to the traditional, extended playoff overtime format, highlighting long-duration games in recent series.[2][5][1]
- Explanations from multiple outlets confirm that playoff overtime is 20 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey, repeated as needed until a goal ends the game, with no shootouts in postseason play.[5][3][9]
Illustration
- Example scenario: A tied game after regulation may reach multiple overtime periods, each 20 minutes, with teams changing ends between periods. The first goal in any overtime period ends the game, potentially pushing the total game length well beyond the standard 60 minutes.[2][3]
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent game-by-game overtime outcomes from the current playoffs or summarize how many games went to overtime this year. Would you like a quick stats snapshot?[1]