New Target for video review? NHL

DREGER: NHL MAY HAVE NEW TARGET FOR VIDEO REVIEW



by DARREN DREGER
TSN.CA

Twice in this young NHL season, we've seen goals scored after the puck bounced back into play off the netting.

The first occurred in a 3-2 Ottawa Senators overtime win over the New York Islanders on October 8.

The puck hit the netting behind the Islanders goal. Both teams seemed to pause, expecting a whistle that never came.

And Ottawa rookie Peter Regin scored 11 seconds later.

A week later at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the puck bounced off the netting, dropped behind the net where Andrei Kostitsyn found it and then fed Tomas Plekanec in a seven-second sequence in the third period that tied the game at two. Montreal eventually lost to Colorado 3-2 in regulation time.

Now pucks going off netting is not subject to video review, but a surprisingly high number of general managers believe they should be.

Of the 21 general managers who responded to the question asking whether video review should be used to determine whether the puck has come in contact with the netting prior to a goal being scored, 11 voted in favour of a review.

One proponent of video review said, "We can't have the defensive team stop playing for a second or two while the offensive team continues to play resulting in a goal. You would hate to lose a game on a non call. I'm okay if we agree to continue play if the puck hits the netting, but we must decide one way or the other. With current rules, we must check to see if the puck did hit the netting."

An opponent of reviews said he didn't want to expand what can be reviewed, "Because icing and offsides would be next. They cause twenty more times the problem than this relatively isolated play." The general manager said he asked his players if they would want the circumstance subject to video review and they said no.

NHL hockey operations says the agenda for next month's general managers meeting hasn't been established, but based on the response from general managers and the split vote, it's hard to imagine there won't be discussion on the latest target for video review.