how many quarters in nhl

There are no quarters in the NHL. Instead, an NHL game is divided into three periods, each lasting 20 minutes, making a total of 60 minutes of regulation play. Between the periods, there are intermissions, typically about 15 to 18 minutes long. If the score is tied after these three periods, overtime and potentially a shootout are used to determine the winner. This three-period format is unique to hockey compared to many other sports that use quarters or halves.