Why are PIM a good thing in hockey?

Answer 1

In general, I would say that PIMs are not a good thing. The majority of PIMs (not going to take the time to find an exact percentage) are from tripping, hooking, and high-sticking. Such penalties are a result of lack of discipline and result in the offenders team skating shorthanded. Fighting is about the only potentially positive penalty to take, as both players go to the box and often fights can change the momentum of a game. But, instigator penalties, match penalties (10 min.), and game misconducts (10 min.) are also counted as PIMs and in no way are those "positive" penalties. For some reason fantasy hockey leagues incorporate PIMs as a positive stat, likely because without this stat the enforcers and grinders in the NHL would be worthless fantasy players.