An AHL Playoff Game Lasted Six Hours And Five Overtimes And Set A New Record In The Process

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It might be one of the most cliché sayings in sports, but there is truly nothing like playoff hockey, a game that was created when some dudes in Canada asked themselves “What if we played soccer but made it a whole lot cooler?” Once the regular season ends, players kick their grittiness into high gear and leave everything— including some of their teeth— on the ice in pursuit of the Stanley Cup and an awesome beard.

The NHL playoffs might currently be the center of attention in the hockey world, but there’s also a fierce battle raging between the guys who weren’t called up to the big time this year. The AHL’s Calder Cup might not be as prestigious as Lord Stanley’s, but you can still drink beer out of it, which is good enough motivation as any to secure the championship.

Last night, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (the Flyers minor league squad) faced off against the Charlotte Checkers, the Hurricanes’ affiliate. The teams were scheduled to play the traditional three periods, but they headed into overtime with the score tied 1-1. The Phantoms eventually came away with the victory, which wouldn’t be particularly notable except for the fact the winning goal came six minutes into the fifth OT in a game that ended up lasting over six hours.

The game was the longest showdown in the 82-year history of the AHL. It didn’t manage to top the NHL record of six overtimes that was set all the way back in 1935, but it’s in the top five when it comes to the longest games in major North American hockey leagues (assuming Wikipedia isn’t lying to me).

Phantoms goalie Andrew Lyons recorded 95 saves over the course of the game— the second most in AHL history— and finished with a 98.9 save percentage to help his team take a 3-1 lead in the series. Thankfully, the teams don’t square off again until Saturday, so they’ll have plenty of time to recover from playing the equivalent of more than two games in one night.