Coming into this year, we all knew a couple of rule changes were made in an effort to improve the NHL. While 3-on-3 was the more exciting of the changes, the coach’s challenge was a a necessity that needed to be made. Other leagues have caught on that the challenge is a necessary evil for them but it seems like the NHL was slow to catch on.
The league centralized the scoring reviews a while back but have added the possibility that goalie interference penalties and players who are offside who then score are all reviewable now via the coach’s challenge. It all seems like a no-brainer but it hasn’t gone as smoothly as some have anticipated.
Sportsnet ran an interesting article about the coach’s challenge and the blurred lines that are being presented. Their are multiple paths that can be taken when trying to challenge a call and it wouldn’t surprise me if over time they make a series of rules that cover every single possible pratfall.
Early returns from fans and pundits seem divided. Goaltender interference can be extremely subjective and naturally at the center of one of the biggest controversies was referee Tim Peel.
It doesn’t look like much contact was made but the goal was overturned. Is this just going to turn into another way for the referees to slow down and mess up the game?
That doesn’t seem to be the case but it doesn’t take a lot for the normal NHL fan to become jaded. This should work out in the long term but as of right now while they are trying to work out the kinks. Consider the coach’s challenge a work in progress.
