Coach’s challenge, expanded video review recommended for NHL

NHL coaches would be able to challenge on-ice calls on goals that might have resulted from goaltender interference and offside plays if a recommendation issued Thursday by the NHL/NHL Players’ Assn.’s Competition Committee is approved by the league’s Board of Governors.

The Competition Committee, made up of players, club executives and officials of the league and the players union, made its recommendations public after meeting in New York.

In recommending the expansion of video review by adopting a coach’s challenge, the committee said the review process and all decisions on goals where goaltender interference or an offside play might have occurred will be the responsibility of the referees on ice, in consultation with the NHL’s situation room in Toronto. A team must have its timeout available before it can issue a challenge in those instances.

The committee also recommended a change to the faceoff rule. If approved, the player from the defensive-zone team would have to put down his stick first for all faceoffs. For center-ice faceoffs, the rule will remain the same and require that the visiting team player put his stick down first.

In identical statements released by the league and the players union, the committee said there had been considerable discussion of changing the current overtime format but that no consensus had been reached. “The NHLPA and NHL will continue discussions in the coming weeks on potential changes with the intention for the committee to make a decision on overtime later this month. There will be no changes to the shootout format,” the statement said.

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