Are you wanting to join a beer league but you aren’t sure how long the games will last? Well, we have some answers for you.
The average beer league hockey game will be between 45 minutes to one hour long. There will always be 3 periods played however the time in those periods will vary depending on your hockey rink. Some rinks will do 20-minute periods with a running clock. Other rinks do between 12-15 minute periods with stoppages for penalties, icings, face-offs, etc… Most rinks also allot time for warm-ups, usually between 3-5 minutes and 1-3 minute intermissions.
Your rink will have varying rules for the length of games, read on to know the ins and outs of the most common formats of beer league hockey.
How Long Are Beer League Games?
The total time you can expect to be on the ice and playing is between 45 minutes to one hour depending on your league format. Each rink can be slightly different but most formats are going to fall into this time frame.
This time includes a warm-up which is usually between 3-5 minutes and this is just like you see in the NHL. Your team gets to skate on the ice, stick handle, and take some shots on the goalie to get them warmed up and feel the puck.
This time also includes intermissions between periods. Most of the time intermission in beer league hockey is between 1-3 minutes.
The time that is mentioned is strictly time spent on the ice. This does not count locker room time which can be lengthy depending on your team. Usually, it takes people about 15 minutes to get dressed. Unless you are a chatterbox, in that case, you will probably need some extra time to get ready.
The biggest thing that adds length to my time at the rink is after the game. That’s time spent in the locker room drinking beers and talking junk. This is where you build comradery as a team and talk about the game over 1 or 2 or 3 cold beers. This can sometimes be 30+ minutes of extra time at the rink.
How Many Periods Are There In A Beer League Hockey Game?
There will always be 3 periods played in any format of beer league hockey. That is unless you go to overtime which we will talk about next.
In the NHL they play 20-minute periods with stoppages, however, most beer league hockey rinks do not follow the same time format.
The length of each period of play will vary depending on your rink but the most common formats are either 20-minute running periods or 12-15 minute stoppage periods.
A running clock means that the clock will not stop for whistles, penalties, or when the goalie freezes the puck, etc.. The periods will always be 20 minutes regardless of how many faceoffs there are.
However, I have heard of some rinks slowing the game down in the last 2-5 minutes if the game is tied with this format. Instead of running the clock, they will play the last few minutes of a close game with stoppages.
If your rink allows periods with stoppages often they are shorter than 20 minutes. The rink I most often play at uses a 12-minute period with stoppages but I have also seen many rinks play 15-minute periods with stoppages.
How Does Overtime Work In Beer League Hockey?
In the NHL, if it is a regular-season game, Overtime rules are:
3v3 5-minute period. If nobody scores then we go to a shootout until somebody wins. In the playoffs, the NHL will do another full period, standard 5v5 play 20 minutes long until somebody scores.
Overtime in beer league hockey is often a running clock with a shortened period and either 3 or 4 skaters per team. If nobody scores in this situation oftentimes you will go to a shootout.
The rink I play at does a 5-minute running clock 3v3 for OT and then if nobody scores we end in a tie. In the playoffs, however, we will do a 5-minute period of 5v5, and if nobody scores still we will go to a shootout.
Overtime rules vary per rink. Below is a chart of some common overtime rules I have seen associated with different rinks.
| Rink | Rules |
| Twin Rinks – Illinois | Overtime will be two stop time 10-minute periods of sudden death with a 1-minute intermission between each period, don’t switch sides. If the game remains tied after 2 sudden death periods, the game will proceed to penalty-shot shootout. Each team will designate 5 shooters, and they will shoot in an alternating fashion, away team shoots first. If the game remains tied, the shootout goes into sudden death with each team having a penalty shot. 10 players (or every player if under 10 on the team) must shoot before shooters can repeat. |
| IcePlex Adult Hockey League – NY | If a regular-season game is tied at the end of regulation, continue directly to a 5-minute, 4 V 4 sudden-death overtime period. If the game remains tied after overtime, the game ends in a tie. |
| The Hockey Academy – NH | . Ties are left that way at the conclusion of regulation unless it is a playoff game. In the event of a tie during playoffs, there will be one five-minute stop time overtime. If the game is still tied at the end of the overtime, the game will go to a three-round shootout. |
| Piney Ice Rink – MD | there will be a 1-minute break, then a 5-minute running time of 5 on 5 sudden death overtime play. |
| Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex – FL | 5 Minute run time, 3-on-3 Sudden death. If the game is not resolved at the end of 5 minutes run time there will be a 3-player shootout. The game is over after a shootout no matter what. |
| NOCO Ice Center – CO | Regular Season: A/B/Low C/ High C Leagues- 5 minute (run clock) sudden death 3-on-3. Games end in a tie if no one scores. D League: Best of 3 shootout followed by sudden death shootout. Must go through all players on the bench before anyone can go again. Playoffs: 5 minutes (stop clock) sudden death 3-on-3, best of 3 shoot out, and then sudden death shoot out.\Championship: 5 Minute (stop clock) sudden death 5-on-5 followed by sudden death 3-on-3 |
Is Beer League Hockey Fun?
Yes, Beer league hockey is incredibly fun. It is always a highlight of my week.
Not only is the game itself fun to play but the team comradery takes it to a whole different level. Being part of a great group of players that can have beers after the game and BS in the locker room make the game even more fun.
Beer league hockey can be competitive which I think makes the game even more fun. Having a well-balanced league of teams that are all close to the same skill level will make everybody have a great time.
So if you are worried about joining a beer league hockey team because you aren’t sure if it will be fun, you can go ahead and throw that worry away just like the maple leafs hopes of ever getting out of the first round.
If you enjoyed this post you will probably also like this one: How Do I Get Started With Beer League Hockey?
