@OGBobbyFarnham
19.1 Coincidental Minor Penalties - When coincident minor penalties or coincident minor penalties of equal duration are imposed against players of both teams, the penalized players shall all take their places on the penalty benches and
such penalized players shall not leave the penalty bench until the first stoppage of play following the expiry of their respective penalties. Where goalkeepers are involved, refer to 27.1. Immediate substitution shall be made for an equal number of minor penalties or coincident minor penalties of equal duration to each team so penalized and the penalties of the players for which substitutions have been made shall not be taken into account for the purpose of the delayed penalty rule (Rule 26). This rule only applies when at least one team is already serving a time penalty in the penalty box that causes them to be short-handed.
When one minor penalty is assessed to one player of each team at the same stoppage in play, these penalties will be served without substitution provided there are no other penalties in effect and visible on the penalty clocks. Both teams will therefore play four skaters against four skaters for the duration of the minor penalties. Should one or both of these players (or any other players) also incur a misconduct penalty in addition to their one minor penalty, this rule shall apply and the teams would still play four skaters against four skaters (the player incurring the misconduct penalty would have to serve the entire 12 minutes – minor plus misconduct – and his team would have to place an additional player on the penalty bench to serve the minor penalty and be able to return to the ice when the minor penalty expires). When multiple penalties are assessed to both teams, equal numbers of minor and major penalties shall be eliminated using the coincident penalty rule and any differential in time penalties shall be served in the normal manner and displayed on the penalty time clock accordingly (see 19.5).
If there is no differential in time penalties, all players will serve their allotted penalty time, but will not be released until the first stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. For coincidental penalties that carry over into, or are assessed during regular-season overtime, refer to 84.3, to Reference Tables – Table 17 – Penalties In Effect Prior to the Start of Overtime – Regular Season on page 157, and to Reference Tables – Table 18 – Penalties Assessed in Overtime – Regular Season on page 158.
So based on the bolded...it seems like if there is only one minor penalty each side, it goes 4v4.
I think if there is more than 2mins of penalties each side, they dont go 4v4 because the odds of creating 4v3 or having to do a reverse 5v3 are higher--as one team could take another penalty or during that longer 4min stretch? **THIS IS NOT IN THE RULES, at least not as I have found...just my assumption**
Either way, they do have to sit in the box when it is coincidental minors until the first stoppage after time expires--just like majors. I havent paid attention to this. When 4v4 ends, do extra players just come back on off the bench while the guys are stuck in the penalty box?
....if I am reading this correctly.