NHL GMs hold off on possible video review changes on Day 2 of meetings

MANALAPAN, Fla. -- The NHL general managers concluded Tuesday that it's best to continue to study and gather information before acting on any of the main topics they discussed in breakout groups Monday, the first day of their meetings. In particular, those include adding video review for high-sticking minors and delay of game penalties, but they will also hold off on changing the policing of fighting after clean hits.

"The expression we often use is the possible unintended consequences," Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. "We're going to keep thinking about it and try to anticipate everything."
The 32 GMs separated into four groups of eight Monday. They convened in a large group setting Tuesday to go over their discussions and findings.
The feeling on video review is that it's a work in progress because, though the technology exists to aide in the accuracy of a call, there is no consensus on the implementation of the review process for penalties such as high-sticking minors and pucks over the glass.
For example, the NHL already allows the officials, at their discretion, to review their own calls on high-sticking double minors and is happy with how that process is working. NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom said there have been about 100 such penalties this season, of which 35-40 percent have been reviewed by the officials.
But there are nearly eight times more high-sticking minor penalties than double minors through the course of a season, so the worry is that expanding video review to allow the minor penalties to be looked at will kill momentum and lengthen games.
"We could have 750 high sticks this year, and we certainly don't want to be checking every one," Walkom said. "That's a lot bigger issue."
Walkom also said there have been 225 delay of game penalties for pucks over the glass this season, of which three were the wrong call.
"When it does happen the rest of the world sees it, and can we put a process in place where we can get it right in game," Walkom said.

The two processes being discussed are allowing for a coach's challenge for high-sticking minors and puck-over-the-glass penalties, and to require The Situation Room in Toronto to review the play in real time and call into the game if a stoppage is required.
The Situation Room is currently not allowed to call for a review on high-sticking double minors.
But the punishment for being wrong on a failed challenge becomes a concern if coaches are given that mechanism.
Under current rules, a team is assessed a minor penalty for delay of game for a failed coach's challenge on a goal. If it allows coaches to challenge penalties, a failed challenge would result in a 5-on-3 for the opponent because of the initial penalty that was called and the delay of game penalty for the failed challenge.
"Bear in mind, the coach's challenge was introduced to fix a goal that shouldn't have been allowed or a goal that should be allowed," NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "Now we're talking about fixing a penalty. So if the penalty should be assessed and they did challenge it, now you're dealing with a 5-on-3, which is almost certain death. We've got a little bit of work to do on this area, but it's something that we would like to do to make the game a little more right. The GMs say just fix it, get it right. That's easy to say but a little harder to do."

The conversation for these two days also centered on fights that occur immediately after a clean body check. It's a growing concern for the GMs, but at this point they do not feel a rule change is necessary because the officials have the ability to call the instigator penalty.
Players assessed the instigator penalty get 17 minutes in penalties; a two-minute minor, five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct. A three-time offender in a season will be assessed a minimum one-game suspension.
"I think the instigator is working," Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion said. "We talked about it inside the room about maybe just calling the instigator more. There's a reluctancy to take a player off the ice for 17 minutes, but sometimes those consequences would make it so there would be less fighting and just let the players hit in a legal manner."
Of the 271 fights in the NHL this season entering this week, 100 were a result of defending a teammate after a hit. Of those 100, 89 were fights following a clean hit. The instigator penalty had been called 21 times.
There are times when a player going into fight is called for roughing, slashing or unsportsmanlike conduct instead of instigating before a fight. Campbell said that happens when the player who lays the clean body check immediately drops the gloves because he knows he's going to have to defend himself. It's harder to call the instigator in that instance.
"It's a real tough one to discuss because if there's a clean hit against anyone on your team and your team doesn't do anything about it, you get heavily criticized for it," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said. "If you do do something about it and you take a penalty, you get criticized for that. It's not maybe as big an issue in the playoffs, but I think people use your reaction to clean hits to judge whether your team is tough or not. That's the hard part. We can talk about the rules and everything, but there is also the noise that comes after, because people are looking for indicators of what your team is about.
"So, I don't know that there's a win or lose from it, other than I would like our team to defend one another when it's called for, and I would like there to be clean hits in the game as well. I don't know that there's a perfect answer."