The standard intermission in Olympic ice hockey is 15 minutes between periods.

Quick Scoop

  • Olympic hockey is governed by IIHF rules, which set intermissions at 15 minutes between the three regulation periods.
  • This is shorter than the NHL’s usual 18‑minute intermissions.
  • In the gold medal game , if it goes to overtime, there is an additional intermission before OT.
  • For other games, the intermission before a standard 5‑minute overtime is about 3 minutes, much shorter than the regular between‑period break.

How long is intermission in Olympic hockey?

If you’re timing a game or wondering whether you have time to grab a snack, plan on:

  • 15‑minute intermissions between the 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd periods.
  • A short 3‑minute break before overtime in most non–gold medal games.
  • A full extra intermission before OT in the gold medal game.

So in normal Olympic hockey play, the answer to “how long is intermission in Olympic hockey?” is: 15 minutes between periods , with shorter or extra breaks only when overtime formats require them.

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