In the National Hockey League (NHL), a game seven is the final game in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Based on the playoffs format arrangement, it is played in the venue of the team holding home-ice advantage for the series.
Games that are tied at the end of regulation time go to sudden-death overtime. This means that the team who scores next goal wins the series. There have been 51 overtime game sevens in NHL history. Home teams are 27–23 in overtime game sevens.
Each sudden-death overtime period is 20 minutes. If no goal is scored, another period is added, with full intermissions between overtime periods. The longest game seven overtime took place in 1987, which required four overtime periods, when the New York Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals in the Easter Epic. Of the 51 overtime game sevens, 36 finished in the first overtime, 13 finished in double overtime, 1 finished in triple overtime, and 1 finished in quadruple overtime.
Key
OTOvertime (the number in front indicates the number of overtime periods played, if there were more than one)†Indicates the team that scored a game seven overtime after coming back from a 0–3 series deficit§Indicates the team that was scored on in a game seven overtime after coming back from a 0–3 series deficitRoad*Indicates a game seven overtime that was scored by the road teamYear (X)Indicates the number of game seven overtimes played in that year's postseasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular NHL season^Indicates game seven overtime in the Stanley Cup Finals~Indicates the winner became the Stanley Cup champions
All-time game seven overtimes See Also: List of NHL game sevens Year Playoff round Date Venue OT Goal Winner Result Loser Ref. (1) Semifinals Boston Garden Mel Hill Boston Bruins~2–1 (3OT) New York Rangers § (1) Semifinals Detroit Olympia Leo Reise Jr. Detroit Red Wings ~1–0 (OT) Toronto Maple Leafs (2) Finals Detroit OlympiaPete Babando Detroit Red Wings ~ 4–3 (2OT)^ New York Rangers (1)FinalsDetroit OlympiaTony Leswick Detroit Red Wings ~ 2–1 (OT)^ Montreal Canadiens (1)SemifinalsSt. Louis Arena Ron Schock St. Louis Blues2–1 (2OT)Minnesota North Stars (1)QuarterfinalsMetropolitan Sports Center Kevin O'Shea St. Louis Blues 2–1 (OT)*Minnesota North Stars (1)QuarterfinalsNassau ColiseumLanny McDonald Toronto Maple Leafs2–1 (OT)* New York Islanders (1)SemifinalsMontreal Forum Yvon Lambert Montreal Canadiens~5–4 (OT)Boston Bruins (1)Division FinalsBoston Garden Brad Park Boston Bruins3–2 (OT)Buffalo Sabres (1)Division FinalsMet Center Steve Payne Minnesota North Stars4–3 (OT)St. Louis Blues (1)Division FinalsMontreal Forum Peter Stastny Quebec Nordiques 3–2 (OT)* Montreal Canadiens (1)Division FinalsMontreal ForumClaude Lemieux Montreal Canadiens~2–1 (OT)Hartford Whalers (1)Division SemifinalsCapital Centre Pat LaFontaine New York Islanders3–2 (4OT)* Washington Capitals (1)Division SemifinalsCapital CentreDale Hunter Washington Capitals5–4 (OT)Philadelphia Flyers (1)Division SemifinalsOlympic Saddledome Joel Otto Calgary Flames~4–3 (OT)Vancouver Canucks (1)Division SemifinalsOlympic SaddledomeEsa Tikkanen Edmonton Oilers 5–4 (OT)* Calgary Flames (1)Division SemifinalsMontreal Forum Russ Courtnall Montreal Canadiens3–2 (2OT)Hartford Whalers (1)Division SemifinalsJoe Louis Arena Nikolai Borschevsky Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 (OT)* Detroit Red Wings (2)Division FinalsCivic Arena David Volek New York Islanders 4–3 (OT)* Pittsburgh Penguins (1)First RoundOlympic SaddledomePavel BureVancouver Canucks 4–3 (2OT)* Calgary Flames (2)Conference FinalsMadison Square GardenStéphane MatteauNew York Rangers~2–1 (2OT)New Jersey Devils (1)First RoundOlympic SaddledomeRay WhitneySan Jose Sharks 5–4 (2OT)* Calgary Flames (1)Conference SemifinalsJoe Louis ArenaSteve YzermanDetroit Red Wings1–0 (2OT)St. Louis Blues (1)First RoundMarine Midland ArenaDerek PlanteBuffalo Sabres3–2 (OT)Ottawa Senators (2)First RoundApril 29, 1997Reunion ArenaTodd MarchantEdmonton Oilers 4–3 (OT)* Dallas Stars (1)First RoundAmerica West ArenaPierre TurgeonSt. Louis Blues 1–0 (OT)* Phoenix Coyotes (1)Conference SemifinalsHSBC ArenaDarius KasparaitisPittsburgh Penguins 3–2 (OT)* Buffalo Sabres (1)First RoundPepsi CenterAndrew BrunetteMinnesota Wild 3–2 (OT)*Colorado Avalanche (1)First RoundGM PlaceMartin GélinasCalgary Flames 3–2 (OT)*Vancouver Canucks (1)First RoundVerizon CenterJoffery LupulPhiladelphia Flyers 3–2 (OT)*Washington Capitals (1)Conference SemifinalsTD Banknorth GardenScott WalkerCarolina Hurricanes 3–2 (OT)*Boston Bruins (1)First RoundRogers ArenaAlex BurrowsVancouver Canucks2–1 (OT)Chicago Blackhawks § (2)First RoundTD GardenNathan HortonBoston Bruins~4–3 (OT)Montreal Canadiens (1)First RoundTD GardenJoel WardWashington Capitals 2–1 (OT)* Boston Bruins (2)First RoundBankAtlantic CenterAdam HenriqueNew Jersey Devils 3–2 (2OT)* Florida Panthers (1)First RoundTD GardenPatrice BergeronBoston Bruins5–4 (OT)Toronto Maple Leafs (2)Conference SemifinalsUnited CenterBrent SeabrookChicago Blackhawks~2–1 (OT)Detroit Red Wings (1)First RoundPepsi CenterNino NiederreiterMinnesota Wild 5–4 (OT)* Colorado Avalanche (2)Conference FinalsUnited CenterAlec MartinezLos Angeles Kings~Chicago Blackhawks (1)Second RoundMadison Square GardenDerek StepanNew York Rangers2–1 (OT)Washington Capitals (1) Conference Finals PPG Paints Arena Chris KunitzPittsburgh Penguins~3–2 (2OT) Ottawa Senators (1) First Round SAP Center at San Jose Barclay Goodrow San Jose Sharks5–4 (OT) Vegas Golden Knights (2) First Round Capital One Arena Brock McGinn Carolina Hurricanes4–3 (2OT)* Washington Capitals (3) Second Round Enterprise Center Pat Maroon St. Louis Blues~2–1 (2OT) Dallas Stars (1) Second Round Rogers Place Joel Kiviranta Dallas Stars5–4 (OT) Colorado Avalanche2022 (1)First RoundMay 15, 2022Madison Square GardenArtemi PanarinNew York Rangers4–3 (OT)Pittsburgh Penguins2022 (2)First RoundMay 15, 2022Scotiabank SaddledomeJohnny GaudreauCalgary Flames3–2 (OT)Dallas Stars2023 (1)First RoundApril 30, 2023TD GardenCarter VerhaegheFlorida Panthers4–3 (OT)*Boston Bruins2024 (1)First RoundMay 4, 2024TD GardenDavid PastrnakBoston Bruins2–1 (OT)Toronto Maple Leafs2025 (1)First RoundMay 4, 2025Canada Life CentreAdam LowryWinnipeg Jets4–3 (2OT)*St. Louis Blues2026 (1)Second RoundMay 18, 2026KeyBank CenterAlex NewhookMontreal Canadiens3–2 (OT)*Buffalo Sabres
Notes
The home-and-away format in every round of the playoffs, is the 2–2–1–1–1 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home ice in games one, two, five and seven. In the finals, the team with the better regular season plays on their home ice in those games).
References