Thirty-three seconds.

That’s how far away the Bishop Guertin High School boys hockey team was from winning the school’s seventh boys state title.

Instead, we got three-plus overtimes of historic hockey.

You’ve probably heard about it all by now. Saturday afternoon at Manchester’s SNHU Arena a Division I championship game started at 2:45 p.m. It ended about three-and-a-half hours later. Three full overtimes and a couple of minutes of a fourth.BG and rival Concord played the equivalent of two full games and a little.

It’s a shame it didn’t go the Cards way as Concord’s Rowan Arndt slipped a trickling puck past Bishop Guertin goalie Luke Bettencourt who was otherwise historically fantastic. It came 1:29 into the fourth OT for a 2-1 Tide title win.

It was history – the longest NHIAA hockey championship game ever. Decades ago they’d play a couple of eight minute overtimes and then if nothing was decided come back another day and play it again.

Not this. This was a primer for Stanley Cup playoff hockey that starts in about a month. The kind that flip around the dial, see it’s a hockey OT and watch. Or you hear about a four overtime game the next morning. Just like you probably heard about this one. Actually, it’s the second time in just over a week an area team lost in quadruple OT. The Rivier women fell 2-1 to Plymouth State midway through OT No. 4 in the first ever MASCAC title game, the second longest Division III women’s hockey game in NCAA history.

Just like the college game, Saturday’s was no shootouts. No 3 on 3s. Go at it 5 on 5 until somebody scores. As it should be.

It was grueling and emotional. The BG players took it hard. Not only were they so close to winning it in regulation, but the Cards hit the crossbar in one of the overtimes and also the goal judge thought a puck had crossed the line underneath Tide goalie Carter Heise and turned the light on, with BG kid suddenly realizing it and slowly kinda sorta raising their sticks. But wait. The crowd at SNHU Arena as well as the media waited while the officials talked it over and even talked with the goal judge. No goal, play on. Sorry Cards. And they also had two power plays in the OT.

About an hour later, the Guertin players were downcast and took this one hard. Both BG coach Gary Bishop and his his good friend, Concord coach Duncan Walsh, told their players to keep it simple and just throw pucks at the net.

“Somebody was going to score sooner or later,” Walsh said. “I’m just happy it was us.”

Things got hectic around the BG net for Cards goalie Luke Bettencourt (29) during his 64-save day in the four overtime Division I finals vs. Concord on Saturday at SNHU Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Things got hectic around the BG net for Cards goalie Luke Bettencourt (29) during his 64-save day in the four overtime Division I finals vs. Concord on Saturday at SNHU Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

A lot of us at that point were happy that somebody just scored. But still, it’s not often you get to see history. Exhausting history. Someone asked Walsh what he told his team during a time out late in the third period.

“That was a long time ago,” he said.

We asked Bishop if he wanted to play Concord again the next day.

“Yes, love to,” Bishop said. “This is the game you want to play. This is what you play the game for, to play games like this. This is what you want.”

“No, I don’t,” Walsh said with a grin. “See you next year.”

At one point, it looked like we’d still be there next year.

That’s what overtime hockey’s all about.

Joy and pain.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on X @Telegraph _TomK.