Ethan Delyea | May 28, 2015


The National Football League has a rule where coaches are able to challenge plays and referee calls and this same challenge should be in the National Hockey League as well. In the rules of the National Football League, teams are given a maximum of two challenges. If a challenge is used and not overturned, the team that challenged the play loses a time out. If they use both challenges and are successful, they are rewarded with a third challenge. In order for the referee to make a final decision, he or she must see video evidence within a ninety-second span. Also, not every play can be challenged.

There are different views on how people look at these challenges. Some people may think that a fast-paced game like hockey would slow down too much if a coach challenged a play and the referee had to take time to review the call. On the other hand, referees make mistakes like anyone else and challenges would allow these mistakes to be made right.

There are many examples in National Hockey League history that show how referees made mistakes or missed calls that decided a team's fate. One example happened in 1993 when the Toronto Maple Leafs went up against the Los Angeles Kings in game six of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was in overtime when Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings high-sticked Doug Gilmore of the Toronto Maple Leafs and never got a penalty for it even though Doug Gilmore was bleeding out of his chin. About one minute after this event occurred, Wayne Gretzky scored the game winning goal when he should have been in the penalty box. If the Maple Leafs had won, they would have gone on to the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens but Los Angeles forced a game seven, all because of that goal by Wayne Gretzky. Ron MacLean, former referee and host of Coaches Corner said, “It's a missed call. And three guys missed it (meaning the referee and two linesmen) and that should concern the NHL.”

Another example of when the referees made a mistake was in 1999 when the Buffalo Sabres and the Dallas Stars matched up for game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. There was five minutes remaining in the third overtime period when Brett Hull of the Dallas Stars scored the game winning goal. The rule at that time was that it was illegal for any player's foot to be in the goalie's crease but Brett Hull was awarded this goal and the Stanley Cup even though he broke this rule. These two examples show how important a challenge and replay or review would be to the outcome of a National Hockey League game.

Jay Leno said, “... I have 20-20 vision, so I couldn't be a referee.” Although he said this as a joke, it is true because referees cannot see everything and this is a good reason why the referees' decisions should be questioned. In conclusion, the coaches of the National Hockey League should have the challenge rule because there are too many missed calls like in the play-off game between Toronto and Los Angeles and too many chances to break the rules in a high-stakes game like the one between Buffalo and Dallas.

 

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