>On Sat, 30 Mar 1996, Mark Lewin wrote:
>
>> Also, what is the rule regarding coincidental minors? Sometimes the teams
>> go 4 on 4, other times they stay 5 on 5. There must be some rule behind
>> it but it sure escapes me.
>
and Terry Kasdan replied:
>If the penalties occur as a result of the same incident, then they are
>coincidental and teams skate 5 on 5.  For instance, when there is a skirmish
>and both players are penalized, their penalties are for the same instance -
>the fightt.  These would be coincidental minors.  However (for example)
>if a player is caught tripping and the referee's arm goes up for a delayed
>whistle, and in the meantime another player is caught holding, then these
>would not be coincidental.  The two penalties are the result of separate
>instances, and as a result the teams will skate 4 on 4.
 
 
Sorry, Terry, you got that exactly wrong. Coincidental penalties occur at
the same stoppage of play. That means that it could happen in the same
instance, just like you mentioned (fight - both players penalized). But it
also means that a delayed penalty situation/other penalty could also be
considered coincidental penalties.
 
For instance, say Luhning (UM) slashes Paterson (OSU) and gets away
quickly. The ref sees it and raises his arm to signal a delayed penalty
because OSU's potent offense is skating away with an incredible scoring
chance. But Turco, in an incredible fit of goalie-dom, does his best Tom
Askey impersination and makes the save. The ref blows the whistle and heads
to the scorer to asses Luhning's penalty.
 
Now, Craig Paterson, being the sportsmanlike guy that he is, doesn't like
having his arm broken and wants to tell the chump Luhning that slashing
won't be tolerated. So Paterson skates down the ice and pummels a hapless
Luhning while his teammates look on. Mind you, several seconds, maybe even
a minute have passed since the Luhning slash (Craig's not that fast of a
skater, you see).
 
Even though the penalties happened far apart in *game time*, they are still
reported at the same stoppage, making them coincidental penalties. If no
one else is in the box, the teams will skate 4-on-4, and come out on the
fly after two minutes. (If one team was already short-handed, the UM chump
and the cruelly victimized OSU player would just sit their two - coming out
at the first stoppage of play after two minutes.)
 
Now, say if Luhning, being the chump that he is, cheap-shots Paterson after
the linesmen separate the two players, he would probably get another two
minutes. So Paterson would have 2 and Luhning would have 4, but they would
be coincidental, so UM would have to put another player in the box to serve
the extra 2 minutes, and would come out on the fly, or if a goal was
scored. Paterson would come out at the first whistle after 2 minutes and
Luhning in all of his chump glory would get to stew until the first whistel
after 4 minutes.
 
I hope this clears it up for everyone!
 
One more thing - and this is sooooo hard for a Buckeye - congratulations to
Michigan for their championship. Thanks for bringing the title back to the
CCHA, guys! (And to the band - you've succeeded - I actually had a dream -
no, a nightmare - where "The Victors" was playing in the background.
AHHHHH!)
 
John
 
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