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NHL reportedly won’t ‘test drive’ coach’s challenge

Mike Babcock

Mike Babcock

AP

A lack of coach’s challenges opened the door for controversial calls. Could a lack of preparedness create different types of controversy?

In Saturday’s edition of TSN Insider Trading, Darren Dreger revealed that the NHL won’t give the coach’s challenge a “test drive.”

He noted that some arenas haven’t “officially gone through the facilities test yet,” so the league is worried that rolling it out in the pre-season would allow some teams to develop a competitive advantage.

The “solution” is ... to roll it out during the first night of the regular season. Coaches will get their first taste of the procedure when the games matter.

Do recall that playoff races sometimes come down to the last day of the season, so tempers could be short if things don’t run smoothly.

Oh boy.

Look, it’s always possible that things will run smoothly and everyone will happily give “thumbs up.” Various hockey players scorned by shaky calls from the past may shed tears.

Still, one cannot help but picture the worst moments of the NFL’s own misadventures with instant replay when thinking of the NHL’s plan to skip the dress rehearsal entirely.

Walt Coleman

Via AP

AP

Buckle up.