What happens when an ice hockey game ends in a draw?

There’s nothing quite like the heart-pounding drama of overtime ice hockey.

Stakes are high, tension is palpable, and every movement on the ice feels like it could be the one that decides it all. This fast-paced team sport is already a spectacle, with players flying across the rink at breakneck speeds, chasing a puck no bigger than a coffee coaster. But when the clock ticks past regulation time, the game transforms into something even more electrifying.

The basics of regulation play

Ice hockey games are structured into three 20-minute periods, with teams switching ends after each one. A 15-minute intermission follows the first and second periods, giving players a chance to regroup and strategize. But even after 60 minutes of regulation time, some games remain tied, leaving fans and players hungry for more.

In international competitions, like those governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the rules differ slightly from those of the NHL.

But one thing is universal: when the score is tied, overtime kicks in, and that’s when things get really interesting.

• IIHF Official Rulebook 2024/25

What happens when the clock hits zero?

Overtime rules in international hockey depend on the stage of the tournament.

In preliminary round-robin games, tied scores lead to a five-minute, sudden-death overtime. Teams drop to three skaters and one goalie each, creating wide-open ice and plenty of scoring chances.

If no one scores, the drama escalates to a penalty shootout, where individual players go one-on-one with the opposing goalie until a winner emerges.

For playoff and bronze medal games, the stakes are higher, and so is the intensity. Overtime extends to ten minutes, but the sudden-death and three-on-three format remains. If the tie persists, it’s back to the penalty shootout.

Then there’s the gold medal game, the most important of them all. Here, ties after regulation are resolved with marathon-style sudden-death overtime, with the ice resurfaced between 20-minute overtime periods, ensuring a fresh, fast-paced contest. This format, introduced in 2019, continues indefinitely until one team scores, guaranteeing that the game is won on the ice rather than in a shootout.

A total of five Olympic Winter Games ice hockey finals (three men's and two women's) have ended in overtime, with three decided by overtime goals and two resolved in shootouts. These games live on in the memories of fans, reminding us why we love the game in the first place.

So, as you follow ice hockey at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and a match goes into extra time, buckle up. You’re in for a treat.