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A Reasonable Proposal on Replay

May 17, 2019, 9:00 PM ET [17 Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Here we go again… screaming for more replay in the NHL because of a missed hand pass (maybe) that led to a game winning goal. The overreaction is so predictable… I recognize it, because one of the reasons we are in this situation is an overreaction to a massively blown offside call a few years ago. Look, I’m a fan of getting a call right… let’s start there. But the whining, wailing and gnashing of teeth going on right now is getting borderline silly.

The fact that a few high visibility calls got blown in the these playoffs… well, that happen almost every year. The fact that one team seems to be benefiting from them in almost every high visibility case could be some cause for concern… but the high volume bloviating is simply getting ridiculous.

Travis Yost on TSN.com has an outstanding piece on ‘game management” regarding the NHL’s officiating… it’s a subject that is spoken about in hushed tones and snarky jokes… usually when a team gets called for a few penalties in a row… the normal snarky comment “you can count on that being evened up in the next period.” As Yost points out in his piece… “the objective is not to call the game correctly, but to call the game equally. That’s a foundational failure.”

He is dead bang on it there.

How many times have you seen a game where one team is playing “they can’t call ‘em all” brand of hockey? The officiating team doesn’t want to be the deciding factor so they swallow their whistles and simply don’t call what they see. Let’s face it, there are quite a few teams that do this… it is exceedingly frustrating to watch.

I don't think the answer is review, but it seems inevitable. Calls are going to be missed, calls are going to be blown. NHL officials are the best in the business… they don’t hate your team, they aren’t incompetent, they are doing their best to keep control of a blindingly fast game.

Do I understand the frustration of the teams that have been on the receiving end of these bad calls? Of course… will it drive processes that result in unintended consequences? Count on it.

The latest controversy involving what is being termed as a “clear” hand pass isn’t so clear when you look at it from a different camera angle… and therein lies the problem. Sometimes, the camera position is the determining factor in a replay. The best example that Pred Nation can quote by chapter and verse was in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final… with different angles showing different things, the Preds first goal of the series was wiped off the board… changing the course of the entire series. An example of how video review DOESN’T help.

The simple fact is this… mistakes happen. Trust me… I still remember Leon Stickle’s blown offside call in the 1980 Final that cost the Flyers their third cup. Mistakes will continue to happen no matter what level of technology is available. I am getting so sick of the pearl clutching going on as the traditional hockey media falls to their fainting couch with a bad case of the vapors. I know there is a lot on the line and I can almost buy off on allowing video review on any scoring play, with a limit.

The problem is… the limit is already in place and it is not working. Remember this?
“The presumption should be that the call on the ice was good, unless you have a good reason to overturn it. You shouldn’t have to search to overturn it.”
- Gary Bettman

Oh… and this…
"We need to give a refresher to the officials, take a good look, a quick look, but don't search it to death."
- Gary Bettman


These are direct quotes from Gary Bettman in April of 2018 and the NHL war room seems to ignore this guidance from the commissioner. If the war room would follow this directive… we’d have a LOT less issues on this.

So… my reasonable proposal is this. If you want to allow video review on any scoring play, the following must happen…

1. There must be a declared call on the ice
2. The call must be announced to the arena. No more of this weaseling out on making a call and just going with whatever review says.
3. Put a time limit on the review, keeping to the spirit of the commissioner’s guidance. No longer than 60-90 seconds… don’t find anything in that :60 - :90 seconds? The call on the ice stands.

There… it’s fixed. Until another human being figures out a way to screw that up and we are having this same discussion in 2022.

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The Playoff Status section
The Eastern Conference Final
Boston vs. Carolina – BOS wins 4-0 – Next Up – The Stanley Cup Final

The Western Conference
San Jose vs. St. Louis – SJS leads 2-1 – Game 4 – Tonight – 7pm CDT NBCSN

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