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Report: Coach’s challenges likely for 2014-15

New York Rangers  v Pittsburgh Penguins - Game Seven

Alain Vigneault

Getty Images

Video review is obviously nothing new for the NHL as it’s commonly used to distinguish a good goal from one that doesn’t count, but the expansion of that practice has been a matter of debate for quite some time.

Now it looks like the NHL Competition Committee and the league’s general managers are likely to take that practice to another level by allowing for coach’s challenges, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. What that will include is still a matter for debate.

One controversial item that’s not expected to be challengeable next season is goaltender interference. A goalie interference call or non-call that either takes away or results in a goal tends to lead to some of the most heated arguments and the Stanley Cup Final has been no exception in that regard.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma recently argued that goalie interference calls are “way too difficult for the referees to judge in the game” and thus should be subject to video review.

Beyond that, it’s not clear yet what coaches might be able to dispute now or in the future, assuming that the coach’s challenges end up coming at all. For example, could controversial hits that don’t get called be challenged? What if the hit didn’t result in a stoppage in play, would the coach be able to challenge once play stops in the hopes of still getting a call? How many challenges would a coach get through a game and would there be some kind of cost against coaches that challenge a play that’s ultimately upheld?

Those are questions that the NHL will answer if they decide to move forward with this idea.

Follow @RyanDadoun