The NHL’s competition committee, which includes Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider, multiple general managers, and multiple player representatives, met this week and delivered several rule change suggestions.
The rule changes are merely suggestions to both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA’s Executive Board and require further approval before going into effect.
As follows, via a press release, here are the recommendations.
Introducing the 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.
Defending player must approach face-off first
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.
No consensus on potential OT changes (for example, 3v3)
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 Board of Governors and the larger group of 30 general managers will discuss further potential rule changes when they meet later this month.
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Here’s the full group of NHL/NHLPA competition committee members: Michael Cammalleri (New Jersey Devils), Cory Schneider (New Jersey Devils), Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis Blues) and Daniel Winnik (Pittsburgh Penguins), Ed Snider (Philadelphia Flyers), David Poile (Nashville Predators), Ken Holland (Detroit Red Wings), Don Maloney (Arizona Coyotes) and Peter Chiarelli (Edmonton Oilers). The Competition Committee is co-chaired by Mathieu Schneider (NHLPA) and Colin Campbell (NHL). David Backes (St. Louis Blues) was unable to attend.
