PIM In Ice Hockey: A Complete Guide!

Ice Hockey, PIM (penalty infraction minutes) is the total number of minutes a player spends in the penalty box during a game. This can be for any reason – from boarding to goaltender interference.

PIM is an important statistic to track, as it can indicate how aggressive a team or player is. In this blog post, we will discuss PIM in detail and look at how it’s calculated in different leagues.

We’ll also take a look at how PIM affects goalies and examine detailed PIM stats on different scales.

PIM In Ice Hockey-What Is It Actually?

The PIM or Penalty infraction minutes in Ice hockey is the total number of minutes a player spends in the penalty box during a game. It is an important statistic to track as it can indicate how aggressive or dangerous a team or player may be.

PIM & Power Plays:

A power play occurs when one team has more players on the ice than the other team, as a result of a penalty. Power plays can be either man advantage or woman advantage, depending on the infraction.

For example, if a player is assessed a two-minute minor for high sticking, their team will be at a man disadvantage for those two minutes.

During a power play, the penalized team must stay within their own zone and cannot score. The non-penalized team can freely move about the ice and have an increased chance of scoring.

PIM & Shorthanded Situations:

A shorthanded situation occurs when one team has fewer players on the ice than the other team, as a result of a penalty. Shorthanded situations can be either man down or woman down, depending on the infraction.

For example, if a player is assessed a two-minute minor for high sticking, their team will be at a man disadvantage for those two minutes.

During a shorthanded situation, the penalized team must stay within their own zone and cannot score. The non-penalized team can freely move about the ice and have an increased chance of scoring.

Penalized & Non Penalized Infractions

There are two types of penalty infractions in ice hockey – penalized and non-penalized. Penalized infractions result in a player spending time in the penalty box, while non-penalized infractions do not.

The most common penalized infraction is boarding, while the most common non-penalized infraction is goaltender interference.

Penalty Box

The penalty box is where players sit when they have been assessed a penalized infraction. The length of time a player spends in the penalty box depends on the severity of their infraction.

For example, a player who committed boarding may spend two minutes in the penalty box, while a player who committed goaltender interference may only spend one minute in the penalty box.

Goalies & PIM In Ice Hockey

How PIM affects goalies in Ice Hockey: PIM can have a significant impact on goalies. For example, if a team is playing aggressively and taking a lot of penalties, it can significantly increase the workload of the goalie.

Additionally, if a goalie is assessed a PIM, another player may have to come off the ice and play in the net, which can disrupt the flow of the game.

When a goalkeeper commits an infraction, the PIM is given to the team, not the individual player.

PIM In Ice Hockey; The Calculation Criteria

PIM is calculated by adding up the total minutes a player spends in the penalty box during a game.

For example, if a player spends two minutes in the penalty box for boarding and one minute in the penalty box for goaltender interference, their PPIM for the game would be three.

Types Of PIM In Ice Hockey:

Minor Penalty

A minor penalty is a type of penalty infraction in ice hockey that results in a player spending time in the penalty box. The length of time a player spends in the penalty box depends on the severity of their infraction.

For example, a player who committed boarding may spend two minutes in the penalty box, while a player who committed goaltender interference may only spend one minute in the penalty box.

Double Minor Penalty

A double-minor penalty is a type of penalty infraction in ice hockey that results in a player spending four minutes in the penalty box. This type of penalty is typically assessed for more severe infractions, such as boarding or elbowing.

Major Penalty

A major penalty is a type of penalty infraction in ice hockey that results in a player spending five minutes in the penalty box. This type of penalty is typically assessed for the most severe infractions, such as fighting or high sticking.

Match Penalty

A match penalty is a type of penalty infraction in ice hockey that results in a player being ejected from the game and suspended for an additional game. This type of penalty is typically assessed for the most severe infractions, such as headbutting or biting.

Penalty Shot

A penalty shot is a type of scoring opportunity in ice hockey that is awarded to a player who has been fouled from behind while in a scoring position.

Misconduct Penalty

A misconduct penalty is a type of penalty infraction in ice hockey that results in a player being ejected from the game. This type of penalty is typically assessed for less severe infractions, such as unsportsmanlike conduct or roughing.

Different Scales Of PIM In Ice Hockey:

PIM can be measured on different scales. For example, a player may have a PPG (penalty per game) of 0.50, which means they spend an average of 50 seconds in the penalty box per game.

A player may also have a PIM% (penalty minutes percentage) of 0.20, which means they spend 20% of their time in the penalty box.

It All Comes Down To Stats:

Since you have an extensive understanding of PIM in Ice Hockey now, it’s time to take a look at different PIM stats across the Ice Rink world. Here we go

Players With The Highest PIM In NHL History:

Over the years, great numbers have been accumulated in the world of Penalty Infraction Minutes, here are 3 players who have highest PIM stats in NHL history, including the Play-Offs.

Tiger Williams- 4426 PIMs

Tiger Williams is one of the most well-known players in NHL history for his aggressive style and PIM totals. He was known for often taking penalties and spending time in the penalty box.

In fact, his PIM total of 4426 is the highest in NHL history. He accumulated this total over the course of his career, which spanned from 1974 to 1988. Williams is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Dale Hunter- 4296 PIMs

Dale Hunter is the second player in NHL history to accumulate over 4000 PIM. Like Tiger Williams, Hunter was known for his aggressive playing style and often taking penalties.

He played in the NHL from 1980 to 1999 and racked up 4296 PIMs in that time.

While Williams and Hunter both had high PIM totals, they also had successful careers. Hunter is considered one of the best defensive forwards in NHL history.

Marty McSorley- 3755 PIMs

Marty McSorley is the third player in NHL history for most PIM behind Williams and Hunter. He played in the NHL on and off from 1980 to 2000 and accrued 3755 PIM in that time.

While he was not as successful as Tiger Williams or Dale Hunter, McSorley was still a very good player. He was known for his physical play and was often one of the league leaders in PIM.

Most PIM In One NHL Game:

That was about all-time history, why not take a look at players who accumulated most PIM in one NHL game? That gotta be interesting!

Here are 3 players who lead the charts when it comes to most Penalty Infraction Minutes in a single game:

Randy Holt- Randy accumulated 67 PIM against Philadelphia Flyers on 11th March, 1979 while playing for Los Angeles Kings!

Brad Smith- He comes second, Brad got 57 Penalty Infraction Minutes while he was playing for Toronto Maple Leafs against Detroit Red Wings on 15th November 1986.

Reed Low- Here’s the last name on the list, Reed also got penalized for 57 minutes, same as Brad Smit, when he was playing for St Louis Blues against Calgary Flames on 28 February 2002.

That was a quick sneak peek of Penalty Infraction Minute stats and records according to records.NHL.com over the history of National Hockey League.

Conclusion:

Looking at PIM stats can help you get a better understanding of how physical a game may be, as well as which players or teams are more likely to commit penalties.

Thanks for reading! I hope this blog post helped you understand PIM in ice hockey better. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Do you think PIM is a good indicator of how physical a game is? What other statistics do you think are important to track in ice hockey? Let me know in the comments! Make sure you visit our Ice Hockey section for many more articles like this!