Playoff arenas to get blue-line cameras; coach's challenges unchanged

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Doug Pensinger / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The NHL's general managers aren't wasting any time.

The morning session of the GMs' annual meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., reportedly decided that blue-line cameras will be installed in the boards of all 16 arenas that will host playoff games this spring, according to Jonas Siegel of The Canadian Press.

The hope is this will ensure the right ruling is made when a coach challenges a goal scored on a seemingly missed offside call.

"That's the one in-season tweak we can make," said NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell. "It's not a rule change. It's just helping make the process better."

The overall coach's challenge system will remain intact through to the end of the season, despite questions regarding whether the on-ice officials should make the call or if the decision should come down to the league's war room in Toronto.

"We have debate internally with our group in Toronto on calls," Campbell told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

"We've had close to 100 goalie interference calls (on coach's challenge) this season and we might have disagreed with our officials six or seven times. And this is the first year of the process, so that's pretty good.

"You have to look at the whole body of work over the course of 1,230 games and some 90-odd playoff games and then sit back and say, 'How good is the process, what kind of corrections do we want to make?' And we'll meet with the competition committee and see where they're at on this, too. We'll know more at the end of the season."

It is a "good bet" that offside video reviews will be switched from being decided by the on-ice officials to the war room in Toronto next season, according to LeBrun.

"The feeling is because the (offside) is black and white, it can go to Toronto (next season) because that's the black and white call," Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland said, specifying that not every challenge should be decided that way.

"With goaltender interference, the feeling is right now, referees should continue to be in the process. The process is working as planned. We'll go through the stretch run here and into the playoffs and then we'll look at it again when the season is over at our June meetings."

The GMs will break into smaller groups Tuesday to discuss other issues, including Rule 48 - which addresses headshots - and the draft lottery.

The coach's challenge is expected to be revisited in June.

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