In professional ice hockey, the break between periods is usually about 15–18 minutes, with the NHL standard now at 17–18 minutes in most arenas.

How long between periods in hockey?

  • Most pro leagues: about 15–18 minutes between the 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd periods.
  • NHL specifically: commonly treated as roughly 17 minutes of intermission time, though broadcasts often refer to a 17–18 minute window.
  • Overtime intermissions in the NHL playoffs can be slightly shorter (around 15 minutes), but are still long enough for full ice resurfacing and team resets.

That means if you’re watching a standard pro game, you can expect around a quarter of an hour to a bit under 20 minutes between each period before the puck drops again.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.