Sudden death is a term used in hockey to describe a game that goes into overtime when the game is tied at the end of 60 minutes of regulation play. Sudden death refers to the way the game ends. As soon as either team scores a goal, the game is over. It doesn't matter whether the goal occurs seven seconds after the center-ice faceoff or much later. As soon as the puck completely crosses the goal line, the game is over.
Regular-season Overtime
The National Hockey League uses a sudden death overtime period to break all regular season tie games. The sudden death period is limited to five minutes to prevent long games. In an effort to promote open ice that leads to scoring, there are only four skaters on the ice along with the team's goalie. During regulation time, teams skate with five players on the ice at a time. If a game is still tied at the end of the five-minute overtime period, a shootout is used to determine the winner. The National Hockey League started to employ overtime for regular-season games prior to the start of the 1983-84 season. Before that, if a game was tied at the end of 60 minutes, it remained a tie.
Shootout Procedure
If a regular season game is still tied at the end of the five-minute overtime period, each coach will pick three players to participate in the shootout against the opposing goaltender. In the shootout, the puck will be placed in the center-ice faceoff dot and a player will skate in with it from that spot and move toward the goaltender. He will attempt to shoot the puck by the goaltender or fake him out of position and put the puck in the net. Teams will alternate shooters, with the home team getting its choice of whether it wants to shoot first or last. If the game is still tied after three shooters participate, the game will continue on until one team scores and the other doesn't.
Playoff Overtime
Playoff overtime is significantly different from regular-season overtime. If a playoff game is tied at the end of 60 minutes of overtime, the teams are sent off the ice for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. That's because the teams will play a sudden death overtime period that is 20 minutes in length. Teams will play with a full complement of skaters. If the game is still tied at the end of the first sudden death overtime period, the game will continue until one team scores a goal.
Famous Playoff Overtime Goals
Many of the National Hockey League's most memorable goals have been scored in overtime. In 1950, Pete Babando of the Detroit Red Wings scored a scored an overtime goal in the seventh and final game of the Stanley Cup Finals to give his team a victory over the New York Rangers. Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins scored an overtime goal in 1970 to give his team its first Stanley Cup in 29 years over the St. Louis Blues. Orr was tripped as he finished putting the puck in the net and he appeared to fly through the air after scoring. Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings scored a goal in double-overtime of the seventh game to give the Wings a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the 1996 Western Conference semifinals. Brett Hull scored the Stanley Cup winner in 1999 for the Dallas Stars in overtime against the Buffalo Sabres.
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