The NHL / NHLPA Competition Committee recently met to discuss a variety of topics including the addition of a coach’s challenge and the possibility of reformatting overtime. From the topics discussed, it sounds like the addition of a coach’s challenge is the most likely to gain enough steam to be implemented in the very near future, but it will only apply to a couple of key instances.
To be specific, the coach’s challenge would allow video replay for goals scored after a disputed goaltender interference call or an offsides call.
Here’s the exact language, via NHL.com:
The Committee recommends that a Coach’s Challenge be adopted for expanded video review for goals that may have resulted from (1) goaltender interference and (2) offside plays. The video review process and all decisions on goals where goaltender interference may have occurred will be the responsibility of the Referees at ice level, in consultation with the NHL’s Situation Room in Toronto; similarly, goals that may have resulted from an offside play will be reviewed and determined by the on-ice officials, in consultation with the NHL’s Situation Room in Toronto. In order for a coach to make a challenge, the team must have its timeout available.
Adding this new stipulation wouldn’t take too much effort and it’d eliminate some of the controversy over all of the goals scored when the goalie has been impeded. It’s not clear if the goalie interference call will go both ways (counting goals which were initially discredit due to phantom contact), but it’d be a big improvement.
As for the overtime discussion, no clear consensus was reached despite considerable debating. The fine details may need to still be hammered out, but expect a change in overtime to come in the not too distant future.