Latest News About Stanley Cup Playoffs Overtime Rules

Here’s the latest on Stanley Cup Playoffs overtime rules:

• Overtime in the playoffs is five-on-five, 20-minute periods, sudden death. The first goal ends the game, and play continues until a goal is scored.[2][8]
• If penalties occur during overtime, a team with a man-advantage can have an extra skater (e.g., four-on-three, or five-on-three) until the penalties expire; play then returns to even strength.[1]
• There is no shootout in playoff overtime—the game ends as soon as a goal is scored in any overtime period, and subsequent overtimes proceed if needed.[3][1]
• Playoff overtime periods alternate ends after each 20-minute segment, and teams switch sides for every OT period; if still tied, the process repeats until a goal is scored.[5][3]

Notes:

• The 2024 format retained traditional playoff overtime rules (five-on-five, 20-minute periods, sudden death, no shootouts) for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with standard penalty rules applying during OT.[8][1]
• Reports through 2025 indicate some leagues experimented with or discussed changes, but the NHL’s playoff overtime framework remained based on immediate sudden death after a goal in the extended period, not a shootout.[7][5]

Illustration (example scenario):

• A tied game at end of regulation leads to a 20-minute OT period with five-on-five play. If a power play occurs and a goal is scored during the power play, the game ends immediately with that goal; if the penalty ends without a goal, play returns to even strength for the remainder of the OT until a goal is scored.[1]

If you want, I can pull the most current official NHL page on playoff overtime rules or summarize how recent postseason games were decided in OT this year. Would you like a quick official source link or a brief summary of recent OT outcomes in the current Stanley Cup Playoffs?[8]