A standard NHL game is 60 minutes long, divided into three 20-minute periods. If a regular season game is tied, it goes to a five-minute overtime period where the first team to score wins the game. In the playoffs, overtime periods are 20 minutes long, with the first team to score winning the game.
However, if the game remains tied after 20 minutes, another 20-minute overtime period will start. With the rules explained, the five longest games in NHL history have all occurred in the postseason.
Here's a look at some of the most grueling contests in NHL history:
The Top 5 Longest NHL Games
Let's explore the five longest games that tested the endurance of players and the patience of fans.
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Maroons (1936)
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins (1933)
- Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2000)
- Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (2020)
- Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars (2003)
1. Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Maroons - 1936
The longest game in NHL history happened all the way back in 1936. In Game 1 of the national semifinal (before conferences arrived), the Maroons hosted the Red Wings in a lengthy thriller. Detroit right wing Mud Bruneteau scored after 16:30 in the sixth overtime period, giving the Red Wings a 1-0 win and a 1-0 series lead.
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They would eventually sweep Montreal in three games en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins - 1933
Before the Red Wings and Maroons, the Bruins and Maple Leafs went to a sixth overtime period in Game 5 of the 1933 semifinals. Maple Leafs right wing Ken Doraty sent Toronto to the finals after scoring 4:46 into the sixth period to give his squad the 1-0 win and a 3-2 series win.
3. Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - 2000
The next three longest games all transpired at the turn of the century, starting with the Flyers and Penguins in Game 4 of the 2000 Eastern Conference semifinals. The game was tied 1-1 until Flyers center forward Keith Primeau broke the stalemate after 12:01 played during the fifth overtime period. This game is the most recent game to have such a lengthy finish time.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets - 2020
In Game 1 of the first round in the East, the Blue Jackets and Lightning got off to an enthralling start. After 10:27 in quintuple overtime, Lightning center forward Brayden Point secured the puck after a deflection and shot it in from distance.
5. Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars - 2003
The fifth longest game in NHL history came in 2003 when the Ducks battled the Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Tied at 3-3 at the end of regulation, Ducks right wing Petr Sykora sealed the game just 48 seconds into quintuple overtime to give his team the 4-3 win.
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Nine games in the NHL playoffs have gone to quadruple overtime.
Game 2 of the New York Rangers-Carolina Hurricanes second-round series was a long one. It marked one of the longest games of the 2024 NHL playoffs, with New York claiming its sixth straight after sweeping the Washington Capitals in the first round.
The Panthers-Hurricanes game was the sixth-longest in NHL history.
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