Hockey's history of the penalty box

In hockey, penalties are a part of the game. The sport is so fast because it is played on ice and hitting is involved that play literally needs to stop when a player commits an infraction. Many sports force a player to leave the field of play when they commit certain infractions, or penalties as it's known in most sports. However, hockey is the only sport we know that locks its players in a box and puts them in timeout.

The penalty box is famous even for people who don't watch and love hockey. It's such an insane concept. A player broke the rules, now he has to skate 85 feet to the other side of the ice and site in a box on his own. We really hope those players think about what they did.

Actually, was that the original reason for this? Did hockey officials think players needed time alone to think about their mistakes? Ponder what brought them to this particular moment?

When did the penalty box concept begin?

To learn the history of the penalty box is to first learn the history of the penalty. The very early concepts of hockey had rules for things like tripping and charging from behind, but a penalty only led to a stoppage in play and a faceoff. In the late 1800s, the rules were changed to give players personal warnings for their infractions. Three warnings would lead to an ejection.

In 1904, it became a rule that players needed to temporarily leave the game for an on-ice infraction. However, it wasn't until the 1930s that we have a record of hockey players being sent to an infraction area. They were put in a box. We say they because there was no separation for penalty boxes. Teams were put in one giant box, and as you may have guessed, fights continued inside the box.

It wasn't until 30 years later, as Sports Illustrated reports, that a fight between Montreal’s Terry Harper and Toronto’s Bob Pulford within the confines of the box forced the NHL's hand. After that, penalty boxes were singular experiences.

Nowadays, the penalty box is home to both the greatest players in our game, and the ones we lovingly call "goons." Its history is interesting, but like with all other NHL rule changes, it was caused by a bad incident that forced the league's hand. At least now the penalty box is one of the few things it seems the league, and the sport as a whole, got right.