There are two ways to answer your question about the length of a hockey game:
**Regulation time:**
* A **regulation hockey game** lasts for **60 minutes**, divided into **three 20-minute periods**. This applies to most professional and college leagues, including the NHL and NCAA.
**Total game length:**
* However, the **actual time** a hockey game takes can be **longer** than just the regulation time due to several factors:
* **Intermissions:** Between each period, there's an **intermission** lasting around **15-18 minutes**, allowing for ice resurfacing and breaks for players and spectators.
* **Stoppages:** The clock stops frequently throughout the game for penalties, icing, and other situations. These stoppages can add up and significantly extend the game's overall duration.
* **Overtime:** If the score is tied after regulation, the game goes into **overtime**, typically lasting **5 minutes** (with sudden death rules, meaning the first team to score wins). In some leagues, additional overtimes may be played if the game remains tied.
Therefore, considering these factors, the **total length** of a hockey game typically falls between **2.5 to 3 hours** for professional leagues like the NHL. For lower levels like high school, the total game length can be shorter, around **1.5 to 2 hours**, due to shorter periods and intermissions.