PITTSBURGH -- It was the offside challenge that drew most of the attention last night, but according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, there could be a change coming to the process of goalie interference challenges.
Daly was asked Monday if it might be better to have just one person in Toronto, with one consistent standard of goalie interference, make all the decisions, as opposed to whichever referees happen to be calling the game.
“I think that’s certainly possible,” said Daly. “I think it’ll be discussed over the summer with the competition committee, and potentially the general managers, as a possibility.
“I think part of the decision to make it an on-ice call originally is, by nature, it’s a judgment call. You also don’t get the same sense on video that you might get being on the ice and seeing how the play unfolds. So it was a way to give the referee a second look at his own call.
“But certainly ... having consistency in how the rule is interpreted on a night-to-night basis would argue for a centralized view on it. So we’ll see what the competition committee has to say.”
There was widespread confusion, from players and fans alike, when it came to goalie interference this season.
“I don’t even know what goalie interference is anymore. It’s a joke,” Oilers winger Milan Lucic said earlier this month. “If someone knows what goalie interference is anymore, please call me and tell me.”
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