Norwegian hockey teams survive hellish eight-overtime game, a world record

The game lasted eight and a half hours!

If the celebration in the video above seems more raucous than usual, it’s probably because the fans endured more than eight hours of hockey. 

Sunday’s Norwegian playoff game between Storhamar and Sparta needed eight overtimes (217 minutes, 32 seconds) to find a winner. The game started at 6 p.m. local time and didn’t end until 2:32 a.m. 

The teams were less than three minutes from heading to an unconscionable ninth overtime when Joakim Jensen netted the game-winner for Storhamar. 

Eight overtimes is, not surprisingly, a new world record, breaking the six-overtime mark set by the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons in 1936.

• Canadian goalie saves 86 shots—49 in five overtimes—and still loses​

Making matters worse, Sparta coach Lenny Eriksson told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet that his team only had three lines of forwards. One those forwards is Christoffer Karlsen, who had already played in a U20 match earlier that day!

The players better rest up on Monday—Game 6 is Tuesday with Sparta facing elimination.