Hockey — Today's matches

How an ice hockey game is put together

An ice hockey game is three periods of twenty minutes, and the clock stops every time play does — so the score labels on this page (P1, P2, P3) tell you exactly where a game stands. If the scores are level after sixty minutes in the NHL regular season, the game goes to five minutes of three-on-three overtime, and if nobody scores, a shootout decides it: three skaters per team against the goalie, then sudden death. The playoffs throw that format away entirely — teams play full twenty-minute overtime periods, five-on-five, until someone scores, which is how spring games occasionally run past midnight.

International hockey on this page — the IIHF World Championship and the Olympics — follows the same three-period structure, with group games settled by overtime and a shootout if needed.

Points systems, explained honestly

The NHL table does not simply count wins. A team gets two points for any win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and nothing for losing in regulation. That single overtime point — the famous “loser point” — is why the standings stay bunched and why late-season games between rivals matter so much. International tournaments use a three-point system instead: three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero for a regulation loss. It is the same idea with a bigger reward for finishing the job inside sixty minutes.

Power plays and penalty kills

When a player takes a minor penalty, his team plays two minutes a man short — a power play for the opposition. The percentages in match stats (PP% and PK%) measure how often each side converts or survives those situations, and they are often the difference in tight games: a strong penalty kill can protect a one-goal lead through the whole third period.

What to follow across the season

The NHL’s 82-game regular season builds towards the Stanley Cup playoffs, while the IIHF Worlds arrive each spring with the best available national-team players and the Winter Olympics bring the sport’s biggest stage every four years. Between them, leagues like Sweden’s SHL and Finland’s Liiga keep the calendar full. Star forwards drive the scoring charts on this page — the goals leaderboard above is the quickest way to see who is hot — and you can dig into individual skaters in our players directory. Match reports and transfer news live in the news section, and if the other big North American season is more your thing, the baseball scores are updated the same way.

Hockey questions, answered

Why does a team get a point for losing?

Only if the loss comes in overtime or a shootout. Reaching the extra period guarantees one point; losing inside sixty minutes earns none.

Why do teams pull their goalie near the end?

Trailing by a goal late on, a coach swaps the goalie for a sixth skater to chase an equaliser. If it fails, the other team usually scores into the empty net — which is why you see lopsided final minutes in the results above.

What does FT mean next to a hockey score?

Full time — the game is finished, including any overtime or shootout. Shootout results are usually marked with the deciding goal counted in the final score.

How long does an NHL game take?

Around two and a half hours in real time, including stoppages and intermissions. Playoff overtime games can run far longer.