NHL Games See Increased Overtime Rates: Analyzing the Trends

Just over a quarter of the way through the 2025-26 NHL season, 27.3% of games have gone to overtime, marking the highest percentage since the shootout's implementation in the 2005-06 season. This trend has sparked conversations among players, coaches, and executives about its causes and implications.

Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan attributes the spike to increased parity within the league, highlighting that 28 out of 32 teams currently have a points percentage of .500 or better, compared to 23 teams at the end of last season.

Stars forward Mikko Rantanen notes that the evenness suggests many games are ending in ties or one-goal margins. New Jersey Devils forward Connor Brown echoes this sentiment, stating, 'There's a record level of parity in the league.' Furthermore, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek emphasizes that no lead feels safe anymore, with 43% of last season's games resulting in comeback victories, a trend that has persisted into this season.

Coaches like New Jersey's Sheldon Keefe point out that teams are playing more conservatively to ensure at least one point, leading to more tied games entering the third period. Gulutzan has observed that special teams play, particularly power-play efficiency, plays a critical role in these comebacks, with NHL power-play conversion rates exceeding 20% in six of the last eight seasons.

He notes that the power plays have gotten so effective that they can drastically change game outcomes. As for coaching strategies, there is a belief that coaches are managing emotions more than tactics, focusing on maintaining confidence rather than making systematic changes.

While the current trend of overtime games may not persist, analysts like Meghan Chayka are noting that the unpredictability of game outcomes is on the rise, making it harder for betting lines to accurately predict winners.

Finally, discussions around altering the points system, such as implementing a three-point regulation win, have surfaced but are met with mixed reactions from players and executives. Currently, 65.5% of games tied after regulation are decided in overtime, the highest since the 2021-22 season, indicating that fans can expect more thrilling overtime battles ahead.