Imagine playing three back-to-back professional hockey games without a single shower, a fresh meal, or even a nap. Basically, that’s the reality for the guys who ended up in the longest games in NHL history. We aren't talking about a little 5-minute 3-on-3 overtime where someone snipes a goal and everyone is home by 10:00 PM. No, these are the "I can't feel my legs and the sun is coming up" kind of nights.
If you’ve ever sat through a double-overtime playoff game, you know the vibe. Your heart is in your throat every time the puck enters the zone. Now, imagine doing that for six extra periods. Honestly, it’s a miracle nobody just collapsed on the ice from pure exhaustion.
The Night Hockey Forgot to End: 1936 Detroit vs. Montreal Maroons
The absolute king of the hill is a game from nearly a century ago. On March 24, 1936, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons decided to play nearly three full games' worth of hockey in one night. It was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. The game started at 8:30 PM.
It didn’t finish until 2:25 AM the next morning.
The score? A mind-numbing 1-0. You’d think with 176 minutes and 30 seconds of play, someone would have accidentally tripped and knocked the puck in sooner. But Normie Smith, Detroit’s goalie, was apparently a brick wall that night, making roughly 90 saves. At the 16:30 mark of the sixth overtime, a rookie named Mud Bruneteau finally ended the misery.
He was a call-up. He had only scored two goals all season. But because he was young and actually had some life left in his legs, he found the back of the net and let everyone finally go to sleep. People in the stands were literally sleeping in their coats. It remains the undisputed longest game in NHL history, and frankly, with modern sports science, it’s hard to imagine players today being allowed to go that long without a trainer intervening.
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Why 1930s Hockey Was Different
Back then, they didn't have the same hydration or nutrition we have now. No Gatorade. No protein bars. Legend has it the players were drinking coffee and eating oranges between periods just to stay awake. It was raw. It was gritty.
The Modern Era’s Biggest Slog: Flyers vs. Penguins (2000)
If we're talking about the "modern" era—post-expansion—the gold standard for exhaustion is the May 4, 2000, clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was a classic Pennsylvania rivalry turned into a war of attrition.
They played five overtimes.
Keith Primeau eventually ended it at 92:01 of total overtime play. If you watch the highlights, the players look like they’re skating through wet cement. They weren't even hitting anymore; they were just leaning on each other. Ron Tugnutt, the Penguins' goalie, stopped 70 shots. Brian Boucher for the Flyers stopped 57.
When Primeau finally cut inside and fired a shot top shelf, the reaction wasn't even a wild celebration. It was more of a "thank God it's over" exhale. This game proved that even with modern equipment and better athletes, the human body has a breaking point around the five-hour mark.
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The Top 5 Longest NHL Games Ever Played
- Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Maroons (March 24, 1936): 116:30 of overtime (6 OT). Mud Bruneteau scored the only goal.
- Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (April 3, 1933): 104:46 of overtime (6 OT). Ken Doraty ended this one.
- Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins (May 4, 2000): 92:01 of overtime (5 OT). Keith Primeau’s legendary goal.
- Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning (August 11, 2020): 90:27 of overtime (5 OT). Brayden Point ended it in the "Bubble" playoffs.
- Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars (April 24, 2003): 80:48 of overtime (5 OT). Petr Sykora scored just 48 seconds into the fifth OT.
The "Bubble" Marathon: Columbus vs. Tampa Bay (2020)
Most of us remember the 2020 playoffs because of the weird atmosphere—no fans, just echoey arenas in Toronto and Edmonton. But the Blue Jackets and Lightning gave us something to talk about. This game is actually the fourth-longest in history.
Joonas Korpisalo, the Columbus goalie, set a modern record by making 85 saves. Think about that. 85 times he had to react to a vulcanized rubber disk flying at him at 90 mph. He was incredible, but the Lightning just kept coming.
Brayden Point finally ended it late in the fifth overtime. The weirdest part? Because it was the first game of a triple-header day in the bubble, the next game (Boston vs. Carolina) had to be postponed until the next morning. The schedule literally broke because these two teams wouldn't stop playing.
The Physics of Fatigue
When you're that deep into a game, your brain stops making good decisions.
- Passing becomes sloppy.
- Simple shots miss the net by three feet.
- Coaches stop "coaching" and just start surviving.
- Defensemen like Seth Jones (who played over 65 minutes in that 2020 game) are basically zombies on skates.
What Most People Get Wrong About Long Games
A lot of fans think these games are the "best" hockey. Honestly? Usually, they aren't. After the second overtime, the quality drops off a cliff. It becomes a game of "who’s going to make the one catastrophic mistake?"
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It’s less about skill and more about who has the mental fortitude to stay locked in when their lungs are burning. You also have to feel for the goalies. In a 1-0 or 2-1 game that goes five overtimes, one bad bounce can ruin a legendary performance. Imagine making 70 saves and losing because a puck hit a shin guard and trickled in. That's the heartbreak of the longest games in NHL history.
What to Watch For Next
If you're a bettor or just a hardcore fan, these marathons usually happen early in a series. Why? Because teams still have their legs. By Game 7, everyone is usually too banged up to go six periods.
Keep an eye on teams with "heavy" playing styles. When two defensive-minded teams meet in the playoffs, the chances of a multi-OT slog skyrocket. Also, check out the goaltending matchups. When you have two Vezina-caliber goalies like Vasilevskiy or Hellebuyck going head-to-head, don't plan on an early bedtime.
To truly understand the toll these games take, look at the "Time on Ice" (TOI) stats after a playoff game. If you see a defenseman hitting the 40-minute mark, they’ve had a long night. If they hit 60? They’ve just survived one of the longest games in NHL history, and they probably won't be able to walk properly for a week.
Next time you see a game head into a third overtime, check the goalie's save count. If it's over 60, you're watching a performance for the ages. Pay attention to the line changes, too; smart coaches will start double-shifting their youngest, "freshest" players because the veterans are usually running on fumes by that point.