By @MichaelCaples –
The NHL’s competition committee met today to discuss a variety of rule changes.
The committee, comprised of both players and executives, agreed on expanded video review that would offer a ‘coach’s challenge’ much like in football – if a team has a timeout available, they can challenge a goal that may have resulted from goalie interference or from an offside play.
The committee also recommends a change to face-off rules, where the defensive player will have to put his stick down first in any face-off in his own zone, no matter if he is part of the home team or the away team.
The committee could not reach a consensus on changes to overtime – they can make a decision on those changes later this month.
There will be no change to the shootout format.
Mike Cammalleri, Cory Schneider, Kevin Shattenkirk and Daniel Winnik were the players representing the NHLPA at the meeting, while Flyers owner Ed Snider and GMs David Poile, Ken Holland, Don Maloney and Peter Chiarelli were involved, as well.
Any changes would still have to be approved by the NHLPA’s Executive Board and the NHL’s Board of Governors.
Co-chairs Mathieu Schneider (NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director) and Colin Campbell (NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations) issued this joint release, as shared on NHL.com:
Expanded Video Review: Coach’s Challenge – 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.
Face-Offs – The Committee recommends a change to the face-off rule, whereby, for all face-offs in the defensive zone, the player from the defensive zone team must put down his stick first. For face-offs at center ice, the rule will remain the same, requiring that the visiting team player put his stick down first.
Overtime – There was considerable discussion of changing the current overtime format but no consensus was 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 new rules recommendations still require approval by the NHLPA’s Executive Board and the NHL’s Board of Governors, at which point the language of the rules will be formalized.