Two of the key stats in any hockey game are goals and assists. But the third, and often most important, the stat is something called a PIM. If you’re unfamiliar with hockey, you might wonder: what does PIM mean in hockey? This is commonly used in hockey, particularly in British ice hockey. Pim is a short way of saying penalty. It normally follows the word icing, meaning a team has been given a two-minute penalty for cheating by stopping the puck with their hands.
What Does PIM Mean in Hockey?
PIM is an acronym in hockey. It stands for Penalty Minutes. Penalty Minutes are awarded to players who commit infractions during a game and are recorded by the scorekeeper.
PIM (Penalty Minutes) are recorded in three separate categories:
- Minor penalties
- Major penalties
- Misconduct penalties
For example, if a player commits a penalty that results in them being sent off the ice for two minutes, called a minor penalty, their name will be marked down for two minutes.
If they commit another penalty that results in them being sent off the ice for five minutes, called a major penalty, their name will be marked down for five minutes.
If they commit another penalty that results in them being sent off the ice for ten minutes, called a misconduct penalty, their name will be marked down for ten penalty minutes.
The player with the highest total of PIMs at the end of the game receives the “honor” of being named “The Worst Player,” which is generally considered an undesirable title by most players.
When is Pim Used in Hockey?
Penalty minutes, also known as PIM, are used to track the length of time a player has been penalized by the referees. The unit of time is also referred to as a minute. The length of time varies from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the severity of the infraction.
The minimum time for an infraction is 2 minutes, and the maximum is 5 minutes. A player who receives 2 or more penalties will be given a game misconduct penalty. This type of penalty results in immediate ejection from the game with no possibility of returning.
A power play is when one team has an advantage because they have more players on the ice than the other. The advantage can be increased by committing penalties such as slashing or hooking.
Penalties can also result in a player being ejected from the game without any possibility of returning. It means they do not get credit for any points scored while off.
What is the Average Pim in Hockey?
The average PIM in hockey is 42.9 per 82-game season.
Let’s back up a little to understand how this number was determined.
A PIM is a penalty minute, and it is awarded to players who break the rules on the ice. This includes tripping, elbowing, hooking, slashing, cross-checking, etc.
Penalty minutes are added together throughout the season for each player to give their total number of penalty minutes over the year.
When looking at averages, you might wonder why we’re talking about penalty minutes instead of penalty games. We do this because some players only commit penalties during certain games (like playoffs or regular season), and others might commit them all year round.
If you add up all of these numbers, then divide by 82 (the number of games in an NHL regular season), you will get an average PIM across all players in history that played at least one regular-season game during their career: 42.9!
Who Has the Most Penalty Minutes of All Time?
We’re so excited to announce that Tiger Williams is the leading PIM player in the NHL.
Let us introduce Tiger Williams, a forwarder and one of the most prolific PIM players in league history. He has racked up over 3971 PIMs in his career, and he’s been a part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams.
Tiger is known for his fierce checks, hard shot, and impressive physicality, but he’s also known for his fierce loyalty and enduring good humor: He’s a kind soul who always makes time for fans when they approach him at games. In addition, he always advises younger players on maintaining their focus and dedication when they’re at practice or in games.
How is PIM Calculated in Hockey?
PIM is calculated by taking the total number of penalties given to a player and adding them together. The resulting sum is divided by two and rounded to the nearest 5 minutes.
For example, if a player receives a 2-minute minor penalty for slashing an opposing player. And then receives another 2-minute minor penalty for holding an opposing player. They would have 4 minutes of penalties. This would mean that the player has accumulated 4 total PIM during the game in question.
Who Serves a Goalie Penalty?
The process of determining who serves a goalie penalty is a bit complicated.
In the NHL, there are three possible scenarios in which a goalie will be penalized. Each scenario has its procedure for determining who will serve the penalty.
The first scenario is when a goalie commits an infraction. In this case, the player that the goalie was guarding at the time of the infraction will go to serve the penalty. So if you’re a forward and commit an infraction against a goalie, you’ll be sitting in the box.
The second scenario is when a goalie’s equipment malfunctions, such as when his stick breaks or his leg pads come off. In this case, since it’s not the fault of anyone on the ice, nobody serves the penalty.
The third and most rare scenario is when a goalie gets ejected from a game for severe misconduct. If he throws his stick at another player or punches him in the face. For example, he’ll get kicked out of the game, and someone else on his team will serve his punishment. But who? It’s not as simple as picking whichever skater has been on the ice the longest. Instead, coaches usually pick one of their better players so that they don’t waste a key
Conclusion
PIM (penalties in minutes) is a statistic used to evaluate a player’s impact on the ice. It considers how many penalties a player is called for and how often they are given penalties. PIM can be an important statistic for coaches to track, as it can help them determine which players are playing too risky and need to be tempered. Or who are dominating the penalty kill and should continue to do so.
- Related: What is a Bender in Hockey?
