Is It Time For The NHL To Review How Penalties Are Called?

Is it time for the NHL to review how penalties are called?

If you didn’t catch the Dallas Stars-Calgary Flames game last week, there was an overtime penalty called that ended up costing the Stars the game. Nicklas Grossman was called for a delay of game penalty after he shot a puck over the glass. It was a bad judgement call to say the least. Grossman shot the puck out of play from the neutral zone, two feet past his own blue line when it was thought he was behind the blue line. The result was a 4-on-3 powerplay for the Flames and Jarome Iginla scored shortly after the penalty was called.

Errors like this can happen. It’s unfortunate, but split second decisions are a tough thing to get right. But do these kinds of decisions need to be made in split seconds?

I don’t think so.

Why can’t referee’s use video replay to get the call right? The play is dead, a new puck is needed and there’s going to be a faceoff anyways. The time it would add to any given hockey game would be well worth it to ensure correct calls are made. Yes, it might push games over the 2 1/2 hour sweet spot the NHL has tried to maintain, but it’s important for teams and for the NHL’s general credibility.

Would it second guess referee’s on-ice judgement? It’s a glass half full/half empty debate. I look at it like reinforcing the right call – another weapon in the arsenal; the glass half full. Imagine the Dallas Stars miss the playoffs by one point this season. That could make or break the season and careers (players and management) as well as cost the organization hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. All because we didn’t take 30-45 seconds to view a replay?

I’m not suggesting referee’s use video replay every time an infraction is thought to be made. Many penalties are called by the discretion of the NHL referee’s and I’m fine with that. But for black and white calls (such as this delay of game example), why not give ref’s the option of video replay?

The emphasis should be on making the right call. And had the referee’s used video replay last week, the Stars wouldn’t have lost that point – at least not on a sequence that wasn’t their fault.

All pro sports go through similar pains, but I feel like the NHL has seen more than it’s fair share of defining (and avoidable) blunders. In keeping with the Dallas theme and fresh off the heels of Brett Hull’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction, who can forget his Stanley Cup foot-in-the-crease-goal?

Stay classy, video replay needing referee’s.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.