Has there ever been a 0-0 hockey game?

The Night Hockey Embraced the Absurd: 0-0 and Icing the Rules

In the annals of NHL history, 0-0 ties are nearly mythical—so rare they feel more like fiction than fact. But yes, there has been a 0-0 hockey game, and one particular match from 1931 stands out not just for its score, but for the sheer farce that unfolded on the ice.

It started with frustration. Earlier that season, the New York Americans, clinging to a 3-2 lead in Boston, resorted to desperate tactics: they iced the puck 50 times in the final minutes. The Boston Garden crowd, already passionate, was furious. The act wasn’t just strategic—it was a provocation.

When the Bruins traveled to New York later that season, they arrived with a quiet vengeance. With no formal rule yet penalizing icing, Boston flipped the script. Determined to expose the absurdity, they iced the puck 87 times—a calculated, almost theatrical refusal to play. The game dragged on, scoreless and spiritless, ending in a 0-0 tie that was less a contest than a protest.

This wasn’t just hockey—it was hockey weaponized. The stunt, while technically legal, shocked fans and officials alike. It became a pivotal example of how loopholes can warp the spirit of the game. And it didn’t go unnoticed. The NHL, embarrassed by the spectacle, finally introduced penalties for intentional icing in subsequent seasons, changing the sport forever.

Today, a 0-0 game is impossible in the regular season due to overtime and shootouts, but that 1931 standoff remains a legendary footnote—one where boredom birthed reform, and revenge reshaped the rules.