Coach’s challenge system, video review dominate NHL general managers meeting

NEW YORK, N.Y. – NHL general managers discussed a coach’s challenge system, expanded video review and other rule changes at their annual Stanley Cup final meeting but could not come up with any final resolutions.

GMs made progress on narrowing what coaches might be able to challenge, including goals scored on plays that should’ve been offside, the puck hitting the protective netting, the wrong player getting penalized and the puck going over the glass for a penalty.

Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins stressed that coach’s challenges would not be instituted for the 2014-15 season. Don Maloney of the Phoenix Coyotes said it was not too late for that possibility, though, adding to the lack of clarity out of Wednesday’s meeting.

Goaltender interference would not be subject to challenges, in line with commissioner Gary Bettman’s point that there’s too much room for interpretation to ensure video review would be guaranteed to get it right.

Discussions also centred on cracking down on embellishment, changing the draft lottery for 2015-16 and beyond to be more like the NBA’s that allows the first three picks to be attainable, and looking at rule changes recommended by the competition committee.

GMs gave their approval on those competition committee recommendations, including allowing a more liberal definition of kicked-in goals, expanding the trapezoid, doing a dry scrape of the ice and changing ends before overtime and making some faceoff changes.