What are the NHL overtime rules for the playoffs in 2026?
What are the NHL overtime rules for the playoffs in 2026?
Charles Curtis, For The WinTue, June 2, 2026 at 11:30 PM UTC
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What are the NHL overtime rules for the playoffs in 2026?
Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2025 and has since been for 2026.
NHL overtime is quite dramatic these days, with 3-on-3 hockey for five minutes giving way to a shootout if games are still tied.
But in the NHL playoffs? The drama is tenfold ... and the rules are completely different. And if you're here, you might be wondering: What are those rules for the 2026 postseason?
Fear not. We have the answer.
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The differences here: If the teams are tied after regulation, that leads to a 5-on-5 overtime period, with 20 minutes to decide the winner. First goal wins, so it's "sudden death."
And if there's no winner decided in that overtime? There's another 20-minute overtime period waiting and so on until a team scores and wins the game. Is it exhausting? Sure. But it's the most fun.
Now you know!
This article originally appeared on For The Win: What are the NHL overtime rules for 2026 Stanley Cup Final?
Source: “AOL Sports”
