When does an NHL game actually start?
Planning to see an NHL game in Toronto. What does the posted time indicate? Is it when pregame ceremonies (player presentations, national anthems etc) start or is when the actual game is supposed to take place?
Best Answer
For all sports events in general, the start time is the start of the final, official pre-game shenanigans which (depending on if it's the playoffs or something special) is close to the actual game start time.
They will often have up to an hour of other stuff beforehand - random awards, kids brought out to do something, remote control blimps dropping buffalo wing coupons on you, whatever. But as most pro sports are televised, the start time is effectively "when the cameras start rolling", which may involve a national anthem and coin flip or similar but that should only take 5-15 minutes under normal condition before the game itself commences.
Heh, you're apparently not the only high maintenance hockey watcher out there - here's an actual schedule from the Ottawa Senators indicating general buzzer time vs start time and surrounding times (note it depends on number of national anthems). It is apparently a NHL standard.
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What time do NHL games usually start?
The 2020-21 regular season will commence Wednesday, Jan. 13, with a five-game slate, including Pittsburgh at Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. ET; Montreal at Toronto at 7 p.m. ET; Chicago at Tampa Bay at 8 p.m. ET; Vancouver at Edmonton at 10 p.m. ET; and St. Louis at Colorado at 10:30 p.m. ET.How long is an NHL game in real time?
The game is divided into 3 periods of 20 minutes each. If the game is tied at the end of regulation the teams will play an additional 5 minutes of overtime, and if they are still tied it will be followed by a shootout. In real time, this whole game does not take just 60 minutes; rather, it takes 2.5 to 3 hours.How long is an NHL game from start to finish?
Between periods of a hockey game, there is a 17-minute intermission. This is why a full length game of hockey takes 94 minutes from the start to finish, despite actual game time only being 60 minutes.How does the game start in hockey?
The two teams line up on their respective sides of the field, with the ball in one player's possession at the centre of the field. Defenders must be five yards away from the ball and when the whistle blows, the player hits the ball backwards to start play. After a goal, the match is restarted in the same way.How To Watch NHL Games 🏒 Live From Anywhere in 2022 🌍
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