For the first time since 2014, the men’s NHL players will participate in the Olympics. When they arrived at the Milan Cortina Games, they noticed the change on day 1. Finnish defenseman Olli Maatta sprinted to the bench after his helmet fell off almost immediately. The NHL allows a player to finish the play for a few seconds before heading off. In international play, they must leave the ice right away. There are some other major changes to the rules from the NHL. Let’s have a comprehensive look.
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How does Olympic Ice Hockey differ from the NHL?
NHL, the Olympics are an International Ice Hockey Federation event, and the IIHF has a completely different rule book from the NHL. IIHF has subtle changes to the rules. For example, Olympic hockey allows for 22 players, that is 2 more than the NHL. The point format is also different as NHL teams get two points for a regulation/overtime/shootout win, one point for an OT/SO loss, and zero points for a regulation loss.
On the other hand, in the Olympics, teams get 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an OT/SO win, 1 point for an OT/SO loss, and 0 points for a regulation loss. The time between periods is also shorter at the Olympics, with a break of only 15 minutes compared to 18 minutes in the NHL.
One of the larger differences is in the rink size. NHL ice surfaces are 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. Initially, the Olympic competition was played on a wider rink: 98.5 feet wide (and 197 feet long). However, in 2010 and 2022, the rink was smaller than expected. In 2026, the IIHF confirmed that the ice surfaces for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m (approximately 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft).
What Are the Overtime Rules in NHL vs Winter Olympics Hockey?
In the preliminary rounds, overtime in the Olympics works similarly to the NHL regular season. Teams play 3-on-3, 5v5 sudden-death games. If the game is still tied, the game goes to a shootout, where the difference lies. In the NHL, the shootout is of 3 rounds, while the Olympics have 5 rounds to decide the winner. In the preliminary playoff rounds, the overtime lasts for 10 minutes, while in the Gold medal game, it becomes 20 minutes.
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NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers Oct 9, 2025 Sunrise, Florida, USA Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell 15 celebrates with center Evan Rodrigues 17 after scoring against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Sunrise Amerant Bank Arena Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20251009_SNV_na2_00025
“While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications,” the management said in a statement.
Do NHL and Winter Olympics Hockey Have the Same Penalties?
The NHL allows a lot more fighting than the Olympics or the IIHF do. “Fighting is not part of international ice hockey’s DNA,” the organization states in Rule 46 of the IIHF rulebook. “Players who willingly participate in a ‘brawl/fight’ so-called ‘willing combatants,’ shall be penalized accordingly by the referee(s) and may be ejected from the game,” the rulebook says. “Further supplementary discipline may be imposed.” The following is the table of all penalties applied to the players at the Olympics.
| Penalty | Players: Player out for | Players: Served on the penalty bench by | Remarks: Recorded on game sheet |
| Minor | 2 minutes | Offender | 2 minutes |
| Bench minor | 2 minutes | Any player | 2 minutes |
| Major | 5 minutes | Offender | 5 minutes |
| Misconduct | 10 minutes | Offender | 10 minutes |
| Game misconduct | Balance of the game | None | 20 minutes |
| Gross misconduct | Balance of the game | None | 20 minutes |
| Match | Balance of the game | Any player except the offender for 5 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Penalty shot | – | – | Penalty shot |
How Is the Winter Olympics Tournament Different From the NHL Season?
The Winter Olympics have a round-robin group stage. The tournament consists of three groups of four teams each. On the other hand, three group winners and the best runner-up get byes to the quarterfinals. The remaining 8 teams fight for the final 4 spots in the quarterfinals. The women’s tournament has 2 groups of 5 each, with the entire Group A of power 5 seeds qualifying for the quarterfinals. While 3 out of the 5 lower seeds fight it out for the remaining spots. The Olympics are a short tournament rather than an 82-game marathon like the NHL.