Imagine going to a hockey game…
…and it just keeps going.
And going.
And going.
Until it’s the middle of the night.
That’s exactly what happened in Detroit on March 24, 1936.
And it turned into one of the longest games in hockey history.
🏒 A Game for the Ages
The Detroit Red Wings were facing the Montreal Maroons in a Stanley Cup playoff game.
Nothing unusual about that.
At least…not at first.
The game started like any other:
• Three periods
• Hard-fought hockey
• Score tied at the end of regulation
Then came overtime.
⏳ And Then… More Overtime
Back then, playoff hockey didn’t mess around.
No shootouts.
No quick endings.
You played until someone scored.
So they kept playing.
And playing.
And playing.
By the time it was all over, the game had lasted:
👉 60 minutes of regulation
👉 116 minutes and 30 seconds of overtime
Let that sink in.
That’s nearly three full hockey games in one night.
😳 The Weird Part
The game didn’t end until 2:30 in the morning.
Fans who stayed got a story they probably told for the rest of their lives.
Players?
They were completely exhausted.
Some reportedly could barely keep skating.
🏆 Finally… A Goal
After all that time, Detroit finally scored.
Final score:
👉 Red Wings 1
👉 Maroons 0
That’s it.
One goal.
After nearly three games’ worth of hockey.
📍 A Michigan Moment
That marathon game wasn’t just a weird footnote.
The Red Wings went on to win the series…
…and eventually captured their first Stanley Cup.
🧠 Final Thought
It’s hard to imagine something like that happening today.
Games are faster.
Rules are different.
Schedules are tighter.
But for one night in 1936…
Hockey didn’t care about the clock.
And in Detroit…
They just kept playing.
.
