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how many periods in olympic hockey

Olympic ice hockey games have three periods, just like NHL games.

Each period is 20 minutes of stop-time, for 60 minutes of regulation play total.

If the game is tied after the three periods:

  • Most games go to a 5‑minute sudden-victory overtime, then a shootout if still tied.
  • The gold-medal game can use a full 20‑minute overtime before a potential shootout.

So if you’re just wondering “how many periods in Olympic hockey,” the core answer is: three 20‑minute periods.