NHL Annouces Rule Changes; Expand Replay Challenges

The NHL tweaked a few rules Wednesday, including expanding what NHL coaches can challenge. The NHL rule changes will take effect for the 2024-25 season.

Per the league’s press release, the NHL Board of Governors, general managers, and the NHL/NHLPA competition committee unanimously approved the changes. The league will work on the precise language for the rulebook in the coming weeks.

Coaches will be able to challenge the puck-over-the-glass call, and when a team commits an icing infraction, their center will lose an advantage in the faceoff circle.

The NHL Rule Changes

Rule 38.2 (Situations Subject to Coach’s Challenge)

A coach’s challenge now will be permitted to take down a penalty for puck out of play. This only will apply to delay of game penalties when the puck is determined to have deflected off a player, stick, glass, or boards, and not on a judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone (e.g., batted pucks or if the puck was shot out from the defensive zone). In the event of a failed challenge, another two-minute minor penalty will be assessed (in addition to the existing delay of game penalty).

Rule 63.8 (Line Change Following Dislodged Net)

An adjustment to Rule 63.8 will prevent the defensive team from making a line change in the event its goaltender accidentally dislodges the net (the former rule applied only to skaters dislodging the net).

Rule 76.4 (Face-Off Procedure – Centers)

Following an icing, the offensive center will also receive one warning (the same as the defensive player) for a face-off violation.

Rule 75.3 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Player Sitting on Boards)

The referee now will provide the offending team with one warning regarding players sitting on the boards (and will so advise the other team). After one warning in a game, the warned team will be issued a bench minor penalty for future violations.