NHL Shift Length

[pavyaz19 1]

I've taken quite a few friends of mine to LA Kings games this year. Most of which have never been to an NHL game. Usually people are surprised on how short shifts tend to be for forwards. I explain how hockey shifts are comparable to all-out sprints on dry land and it makes sense to be on the ice for only 40-seconds at a time. Anyone that plays hockey knows the feeling.

Anyway, last night's game between the Kings and Stars was awesome. A huge comeback by the Kings and then an overtime win from the stick of Handzus... hat trick.

In the last portion of the third period, I could have sworn Dustin Brown was on the ice for 3-4 minutes straight. Sure enough, I checked NHL.com today (unfortunately they don't have the shift charts anymore, but they do have TOI per player in text form) and Brown was on for the last three-minutes and forty-four seconds. WOW!

Then I scrolled to Anze Kopitar... FIVE MINUTES, EIGHTEEN SECONDS!!! That is completely insane.

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20082009/TH020962.HTM

I was wondering if anyone else has seen shifts like that from our (Wings) forwards this year... I realize Lidstrom and other D-men have some long ones but even they probably don't go over four minutes. Granted, in last night's game, the Kings were on the power play and in complete desperation-mode in attempt to tie the game... but either way, NHL hockey players continue to amaze me.

By the way... at the end of his five-minute shift, Kopitar scored the game-tying goal and finally was able to rest the final fourteen seconds of regulation.

[Real1 2]

I play right wing for my high school varsity team. I think that it all depends on if you are doing a ton of skating or not. If you are on a 4min PP and all you do is set up in their zone and take chances then I can see it. If you are just even strength and you are going up and down the ice all the time (and you are really skating) there is no reason to stay out for 4 minutes.

Just my 2 cents.

[Carman 387]

It's rarer the higher the level of play. It was pretty common in Juniors-Midgets to have your top player out for half the game. But in the NHL it's very rare to see a forward play that long. I can see a defenseman on a 4 minute powerplay, but man considering how fast the pace is in the NHL that's either very impressive or completely stupid .

[P. Marlowe 748]

Kyle Quincey also was on the ice for almost 4 minutes non-stop. There must've been a timeout and perhaps also a commercial break. Anyway, that's very impressive. Especially because they managed to score at the end.

[puckbags 863]

I played about 40 minutes for my team the other night....I didn't really have a choice...we only had 7 skaters ....4 forwards and 3 d-men really wears on a well trained olympic athlete such as myself !!