Changes Made to Coach’s Challenge – Goaltender Interference Rule

The NHL announced that the Board of Governors has approved the changes to Rule 78.7 (ii) Coach’s Challenge – Goaltender Interference.

This season, the LA Kings have been involved 29 reviewed plays and a handful of Coach’s Challenges for Goaltender Interference that have gone to the situation room.

However, there will be more consistent rulings going forward as the NHL will have the Situation Room be more heavily involved in confirming and overturning calls. Via NHL PR, the following changes will be implemented starting games on March 28th:

(ii) Scoring Plays Involving Potential “Interference on the Goalkeeper”

(c) The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room (which shall include a former referee in the Officiating Department in the decision-making process), after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the Referee who made the original call, determines that the goal should have been disallowed due to “Interference on the Goalkeeper,” as described in Rules 69.1, 69.3 and 69.4.

(d) The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “NO GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room (which shall include a former referee in the Officiating Department in the decision-making process), after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the Referee who made the original call, determines that the goal on the ice should have been allowed because either: (i) there was no actual contact of any kind initiated by the attacking Player with the goalkeeper; or (ii) the attacking Player was pushed, shoved or fouled by a defending Player causing the attacking Player to come into contact with the goalkeeper; or (iii) the attacking Player’s positioning within the crease did not impair the goalkeeper’s ability to defend his goal and, in fact, had no discernible impact on the play.