What’s the Longest NHL Game in History?

Did you know that the longest NHL game in history lasted nearly six full periods? That’s right – the game went into sudden death overtime and was finally decided in the wee hours of the morning.

If you’re a hockey fan, you’ll want to read on to learn more about this epic game and the other longest NHL games on record.

Introduction

In sport, the longest game ever played is the Stanley Cup Finals series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons, which lasted 176 minutes and 30 seconds of actual play time. The game was played on March 24, 1936, at the Detroit Olympia Stadium. It took place over three periods of overtime before finally being decided at 2:25 of the sixth overtime period, when Mud Bruneteau scored for the Red Wings. The game remains the longest in Stanley Cup Finals history.

The Lengthiest Game in NHL History

The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24, 1936, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons. The game went into six overtime periods, lasting 176 minutes and 30 seconds, before finally being called a tie.

The Most Overtimes in an NHL Game

March 24, 1936 – Detroit Red Wings 0, Montreal Maroons 1 – 176:30 (20th overtime)

After three scoreless regulation periods and two sudden death overtime periods, the game was called due to poor ice conditions. It was the only NHL game in history to end in a 0-0 tie. It is also the only game in NHL history where both goalies played all 20 overtimes.

The Longest Game by Minutes

The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24, 1936, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons. It went for 176 minutes, 30 seconds of actual playing time – that’s nearly three hours!

Interestingly, the game didn’t even go into overtime. It was actually stopped early due to darkness, with the score still tied at 0-0. The two teams played a total of 5 overtime periods, which is also an NHL record.

So if you’re ever wondering how long an NHL game can go on for, now you know!

Games That Went the Distance

The longest game in NHL history was played on March 24, 1936, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons. The game went into a sixth overtime period, lasting 176 minutes and 30 seconds. Detroit finally won the game, 1–0.

There have been several games that have come close to that mark, but none has surpassed it. The second longest game was played on May 4, 2000, between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. That game went into a fifth overtime period and ended after 155 minutes and 53 seconds of play. Philadelphia won 2–1.

Here are some other notable long games in NHL history:

– On January 2, 1920, the Ottawa Senators and the Seattle Metropolitans played to a 0–0 tie in what would become known as the “Penny Arcade Game.” It was so named because it was played at Seattle’s Penny Arcade—a small rink with only 500 seats. The game went into a third overtime period before being called because of darkness. It lasted 105 minutes and45 seconds.
– On December 29, 1935, the New York Americans and Montreal Canadiens played to a 0–0 tie—a game that lasted 97 minutesand was decided by cooperative agreement between the two coaches. New York’s Art Lewis agreed to end the game if Montreal’s Cecil Hart did not score during the next 10 minutes of play. Neither team scored, so the game ended in a tie.
– On April 3, 1933, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman King Clancy scored at 16:30 of the third overtime period to give his team a 2–1 victory over the Boston Bruins in what would become known as “Clancy’s Goal.” The game lasted 96 minutesand 30 seconds—the longest playoff game in NHL history at that time.