Penalty Box Explained: What is the Penalty Box in Hockey?

by Will Brown, August 21, 2025

The penalty box in hockey is an iconic, if not dreaded, symbol of shame for players. The isolated, rink-side “sin bin” becomes the unwanted home of players who have broken minor or serious infringements, with punishments dished out according to their severity. In this guide, we’ve discussed what is the penalty box in hockey exactly, taking a deep dive into its functions, how it affects gameplay, and its history and significance.

Where is the Penalty Box in Hockey?

In most cases, the penalty box is located between the center red line and one of the blue lines of the rink. This puts the offending players on show and makes it easier for referees to keep track of their time served. To kick this guide off, we’ve covered the specific functions of the ice hockey penalty box.

We’ve then shared the evolution of the penalty box from the earliest days of ice hockey to its official introduction. From there, we’ve shared some of the most memorable penalty box moments from the history of the NHL, before sharing some interesting facts about the biggest offenders.

• How Do Penalty Boxes Work?
• Types of Box Penalties
• The History of Penalty Boxes
• Memorable Penalty Box Moments
• Interesting Facts About Penalty Boxes

How Do Penalty Boxes in Hockey Work?

So what is the penalty box in hockey? Put simply, this is a walled-off area that serves as a temporary prison of sorts for players who have broken the rules. These include everything from minor penalties such as boarding, charging, slashing, or tripping to more serious offenses such as fighting, spearing, and misconduct against referees.

When a player has infringed upon the rules, the referee assesses a penalty and determines a length of time that fits the severity of the violation. They are then removed from the ice for that period, with common penalties including two-minute minors, five-minute majors, and ten-minute misconducts.

Not every infringement will result in a trip to the “sin bin”. Sometimes, referees will simply issue verbal warnings for minor infractions. However, actions that are considered to disrupt the integrity of the game or cause harm to others will always result in fast and appropriate penalties.

Like red cards in soccer, once a player has been sent to the penalty box, they cannot be replaced on the ice. This leaves their team shorthanded until they can return or unless a player on the other team is also penalized. Both teams have their own penalty boxes to minimize risk of altercations.

The only players that cannot be sent to the penalty box are goaltenders. However, they must still abide by the same rules, so if a penalty is called against them, another player on their team must serve the time on their behalf. Penalty time starts as soon as play resumes after their expulsion.

If a player is serving a minor penalty and the opposing team scores against them, they can return to the ice, whether or not they’ve completed the two-minute punishment. If a major or misconduct penalty is being served, they must serve the full time, no matter what.

Regarding where is the penalty box in hockey for minor leagues, this is almost always on the side of the rink and separated, too. However, some amateur divisions may extend penalties to the team’s coach or the whole team rather than simply placing the burden on individuals.

It’s important for those interested in betting at the best NHL sportsbooks to understand penalty boxes in hockey, as they can be instrumental in turning the tides of a team’s momentum. If a team has a player with a reputation for misconduct, they may not be wise to back.

Types of Penalty Box Punishments

There are three types of penalty box hockey punishments. The most common are minor penalties, which last for two minutes. These are awarded for less dangerous infringements such as unsportsmanlike conduct, having too many men on the ice, using illegal equipment, elbowing, holding, and boarding.

If the infringement is more serious, it will earn a major penalty. This results in five minutes in the box that must be served in its entirety. Offenses that are considered to be major penalties include fighting, checking from behind, butt-ending, and spearing. Minor penalties that are considered deliberate with the intent to injure are also classified as majors.

The most serious penalty box punishments relate to misconduct, which results in a 10-minute stay. Misconduct offenses relate to ongoing poor behavior from players, whether it’s repeated minor infractions, unsportsmanlike actions, or taunting. Unlike the other punishments, players serving misconduct punishments can be replaced on the ice.

For serious infractions, players and team officials can be punished for game misconduct. This results in their immediate ejection for the rest of the game. In instances such as fighting with the intent to injure other players or abusing officials, players may receive suspensions for multiple games.

The History of Penalty Boxes

In the early 20th century, the penalty box as it exists today was not yet standardized or codified. Instead, penalties were usually enforced verbally or with fines, or players were sent to stand at the bench. It wasn’t until 1916 that the first penalty box was introduced to contain penalized players, helping referees keep track of offenses and punishments.

However, these penalty boxes used to be a shared space, which proved to be a bad idea after a fight broke out between Toronto and Montreal players at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1963. This resulted in the NHL creating separate spaces for teams, which, for the most part, has reduced instances of brawls.

Early penalty boxes were less comfortable than they are today, with modern boxes now containing plexiglass walls for safety and visibility. Boxes also contain support staff and an official timekeeper to ensure punishments are meted out correctly.

Memorable Penalty Box Moments

Although hardly a game goes by without penalty boxes in hockey being utilized, there are several moments involving them that stand out in fans’ minds. One of the most chaotic instances came during a 2004 game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators in the wake of a massive brawl.

This saw 23 players of 40 receive at least two minutes of penalty time. The boxes overflowed, making it hard for officials to keep track of who was serving time for what penalty. Another humorous instance came during the 2011 NHL Playoffs, with Vancouver Canucks’ Ryan Kesler taunting opposing players from the box. This resulted in a warning from the league.

Sometimes, fans have caused controversy for taunting players in penalty boxes. The Green Men, two supporters of the Canucks, were inducted into ESPN’s Hall of Fans for sitting next to the opponent’s penalty boxes and taunting the players. Their exploits eventually earned them free tickets as they entertained the crowd by performing handstands against the glass.

And what is the penalty box in hockey without some in-box brawls of its own? As was covered above, the whole reason the box was separated into teams came after Toronto Maple Leaf Bob Pulford and Montreal Canadien Terry Harper engaged in a fight in 1963, a byproduct of one of hockey’s most enduring rivalries.

Interesting Facts About Penalty Boxes

Now that the answers to questions such as “Where is the penalty box in hockey?” and “What are the punishments?” have been provided, let’s get into the fun stuff. Firstly, the player who holds the record for accruing the most career penalty minutes was Dave “Tiger” Williams, who racked up 3,971 minutes across 962 games. This is more than 66 hours of punishment.

The Boston Bruins’ campaign during the 1979-1980 season holds the all-time team record for 2,995 minutes, while the aforementioned Flyers and Senators game in 2004 resulted in the most per-game time with 419 penalty minutes. Regarding a single-game achievement for a player, the Los Angeles Kings’ Randy Holt received 67 minutes during a 1979 showdown.

The fastest penalty awarded came just two minutes into a 2011 game when he was assessed for starting a fight immediately off the faceoff. The player with the highest penalty average remains Steve Durbano, who managed to accrue 1,127 minutes in 220 games, giving him an average of more than five minutes per game.

The records continue to get broken, but this time, in an honorable direction. The 2024-2025 season saw the Vegas Golden Knights become the first team in NHL history to receive fewer than 200 penalty minutes across a season, with only 197 minutes recorded.