On Sat, May 16, 2009 at 1:08 AM, Henry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> In the recent Ice Hockey World Championship (IHWC) in Switzerland, in
> one game there was a very unusual situation that made me wonder about
> the rules. One team already had two men in the penalty box when they got
> yet another minor. The offending player immediately went into the box
> but of course his time couldn't start counting until one of his
> teammates left the box. That happened during play; the first penalty
> expired and the player skated out.
> ...
> At that point, shouldn't that team have been guilty of too many players on the ice?

Since that would presumably be a timekeeper's error, I think any
referee would have a hard time punishing a team for it.

> With two penalties in effect and three skaters defending against a
> 5-on-3, one would think that they should have to wait for a stoppage
> before the first player whose penalty had expired could skate across the
> ice from the box to the bench. Yes? No?

In that situation, it is possible to have a player come out of the
penalty box during the play, but it would be on the second penalty's
expiration, not the first.

Suppose we have (all penalties are minors): A1 at 8:00; A2 at 8:30; A3 at 9:00

At 10:00, A1's penalty ends, A3's penalty starts, nobody leaves. At
10:30, A2's penalty ends - meaning that A only has one penalty running
- and A1 would return to the ice. A2 waits for a whistle. At 12:00, A2
would come back to the ice, and A3 would wait for a whistle. (That's
following IIHF rules. NCAA rules may just have A1 sit in the box the
whole time and have A2 & A3 come out when their penalties are up, I
don't know.)

The only way you could have someone come out on the first penalty
would be if the first two penalties happened at the same time (A1 & A2
at 8:00, A3 at 9:00). In that case, one of the players would come out
at 10:00, while the other would sit and wait until 11:00.

John

-- 
John Edwards
I used to put quotes here.