Olympic Hockey Overtime Rules Explained: 2026 Milan Cortina Complete Guide
The gold medal game in men's Olympic hockey is happening TODAY — Sunday, February 22, 2026 — with Canada facing the United States at 8:10 AM ET. Understanding the overtime rules is critical, especially since they differ dramatically depending on what stage of the tournament is being played. Here is every rule you need to know, from group stage to gold medal.
How Olympic Hockey Is Structured
An ice hockey game consists of three 20-minute periods of play with an 18-minute intermission between periods, plus overtime and shootout if required. The men's tournament features 12 teams; the women's tournament features 10.
The points system uses a three-point structure: 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime or shootout win, 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss, and 0 points for a regulation loss.
Olympic Hockey Overtime Rules by Stage
The type of overtime played at the Olympics is entirely determined by what stage of the tournament the game is taking place. The rules are different for the group stage, the knockout rounds, and the gold medal game.
Stage 1 — Preliminary Round (Group Stage)
If the game is tied at the end of regulation in a preliminary game, the two teams play a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team at 3 skaters and 1 goalkeeper. The team scoring first wins. If no goal is scored during the overtime period, a shootout takes place. This mirrors regular season NHL rules exactly.
Shootout procedure: Five different shooters from each team take alternating shots until a decisive goal is scored. If still tied after five rounds each, it continues as a "tiebreak shootout" — the same or new players can be used. The game ends as soon as one duel of two players produces a decisive result.
Stage 2 — Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Bronze Medal Game
In knockout round games (quarterfinals, semifinals, bronze medal game), if the score is still tied after regulation, a sudden-death overtime period is played. The first team to score wins. If neither team scores, the game goes to a shootout.
Stage 3 — Gold Medal Game (The Big Difference)
In the gold medal game, ties after regulation are resolved with marathon-style sudden-death overtime, with 20-minute overtime periods played until one team scores. The ice is resurfaced during an 18-minute intermission between each overtime period. This format, introduced in 2019, continues indefinitely — guaranteeing the gold medal is won on the ice rather than in a shootout.
Olympic vs. NHL Rules: Key Differences
| Rule | Olympic Hockey | NHL |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime (regular season/group) | 5 min, 3-on-3, then shootout | 5 min, 3-on-3, then shootout |
| Overtime (playoffs/knockouts) | 5 min, 3-on-3, then shootout | 20 min, 5-on-5, no shootout |
| Gold medal game overtime | 20-min periods, 3-on-3, no shootout | N/A |
| Overtime skaters | 3-on-3 | 5-on-5 in playoffs |
| Game length | Three 20-min periods | Three 20-min periods |
| Intermissions | 18 minutes | 18 minutes |
| Roster size (men's) | 25 players (22 skaters + 3 goalies) | 23 max |
Today's Gold Medal Game: Canada vs. USA
The semifinals produced two dramatic results. Canada edged Finland 3–2, and the United States defeated Slovakia 6–2. The gold medal game is set for Sunday at 8:10 AM ET at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, with Canada facing the USA.
Three of the four quarterfinal games went to overtime, including Canada beating Czechia 4–3 on a Mitch Marner breakaway goal and the USA defeating Sweden 2–1 on a Quinn Hughes goal.
If today's gold medal game goes to overtime, there is no shootout — 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods will be played indefinitely with 3-on-3 hockey until one team scores, with the ice resurfaced between each period.
Who Is Favored Today?
Canada enters as the slight favorite. Canada has won three of the last six Olympic gold medals in men's hockey. The United States has long been a rival, with both nations expected from the start to meet in the gold medal game. This is the dream matchup — the two most dominant programs in modern Olympic hockey, playing for gold today on a day the entire NHL world has circled on its calendar since NHL players returned to the Olympics for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.
