Video review will be a hotly discussed topic at the upcoming NHL general manager meetings in Boca Raton.
A pair of topics tabled for the meetings include video replay on goaltender interference calls and technology that would see video cameras placed inside goal posts, according to Damien Cox and Elliotte Friedman in this week’s edition of “Headlines” on Hockey Night in Canada.
The goaltender interference review issue is one that Friedman examined in his “30 Thoughts” column earlier this week, noting that league concerns over games running longer could influence any potential rule change. Determining how and when a play can go to review will be a major discussion.
The addition of cameras to goal posts, according to Cox, is close enough to being ready for deployment that we could see them as early as this year’s playoffs. The idea is that goal post cameras would help determine whether or not the puck crosses the goal line in circumstances where existing technology can fall short (i.e. a crowded crease).
No word on whether time travel technology is on the agenda to take a look at Martin Gelinas and the Calgary Flames’ infamous no-goal call versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final.
Changes to the overtime format could be on the horizon, too. After a successful trial in the American Hockey League that has shown a reduction in shootouts, 3-on-3 overtime could arrive in the NHL next season, according to Cox.
The NHL general manager meetings run from March 16-18 in Boca Raton, Florida.
