NHL’s GMs to propose expanding coach challenges

MANALAPAN, Fla. — NHL general managers have voted to make several adjustments to the rulebook — including around key coaches’ challenges — and will be proposing their changes for approval by the league’s competition committee and Board of Governors.

Those alterations were discussed Monday and Tuesday during the NHL’s annual GM meetings at Eau Palm Beach resort. The executives met in small groups first to dissect what was most important to pursue, and then came together collectively to decide on a short list for presentation to the competition committee (consisting of four GMs, one NHL owner and five players). Any changes the committee votes through will then go before the Board of Governors.

The GMs are seeking an expansion of the coaches’ challenge to include a video review of puck-over-the-glass calls if the team believes a puck has been deflected out of play. This would apply only if a penalty were called, not if the coach thinks a call has been missed, and if the challenge is unsuccessful it would result in a 5-on-3 situation. The same would apply for a proposed high sticking challenge, where a coach can call for review if the team believes a player has been high-sticked by their own teammate and not an opponent.

The NHL shared data claiming there are few missed calls when it comes to refs calling pucks out of play — their report says there were two incorrect calls this season, six last year and six the year before — but the changes would give more power to the teams and their video staffs to ensure the penalties are (or aren’t) being properly assessed.

Other proposed changes include adding the goalie to the list of players who can be penalized when the net is dislodged, (they are currently exempt despite the NHL reporting there were 102 instances of net displacement by goalies last season), for incoming goalies to get a warmup if the starter has been pulled by a concussion spotter and if a goalie loses his mask and play is stopped for that to result in an offensive zone draw for the other team.

On a post-icing faceoff, the GMs would like the offensive player to get a warning prior to being called for a violation (right now it’s just the defensive player who gets a warning). They are also proposing that, when a player refuses to play the puck off a high stick or hand pass, then the other team gets a faceoff in the zone next to where the infraction occurs (for example, if it’s in the defensive zone, the faceoff would come in the neutral zone).

Another tweak that will be more effectively enforced is disallowing players from sitting on the boards with their skates hanging over the ice waiting for a line change. The player will receive a warning first, and if he does it again the team will be assessed as a bench minor.

“They’re just little fixes to the game,” NHL VP and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. “These aren’t exciting changes.”

GMs talked about possibly tweaking other areas of the game, including 3-on-3 overtime rules, but ultimately felt that since 70% of NHL games making it to overtime end there, it wasn’t necessary to adjust the current set up. They also went over possession and control with the puck crossing the blueline in relation to offside calls and felt that maintaining status quo there was best.

There is an appetite from the league’s executive committee to see morning skates begin earlier to benefit the visiting team and the GMs were polled on the topic. That will continue being discussed and could result in potentially moving those start times ahead by 15 minutes (meaning the home team would skate at 10:15 and the visitors at 11:15).

It will take time for any of the proposed changes to be ratified and implemented. That’s fine with the managers, who weren’t seeking immediate gratification in any respect.

“This is the time of year you can dive into the details knowing you’re not going to do anything right away,” said Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams. “But maybe it gets carried into the offseason and something happens next year. All of us are trying to think about what’s best, not just for your own situation but for the game. The overriding message is just, let’s make the game better. And sometimes that means not doing anything. But if there are little nuances or rule changes we should look at then we will. We want to get it right.”

The managers will meet one final time on Wednesday before wrapping this year’s sessions.