Failed offffffffffffside challenge now a penalty

Leaguewants to keep number of reviews in check.

The NHL has a clear message to coaches starting this season: Don’t challenge an offffffffffffside call unless you are really sure.

At times last season, coaches challenged on the offff chance a goal would get called back or to at least give players a breather because all it cost was a timeout. That is expected to change because a failed offffside challengewill instead result in a two-minute minor penalty as the league tries to get the coach’s challenge closer to what it was intended to be.

TheNHL’s BoardofGovernors gave fifinal approval for the rule change Wednesday.

Last season, the second with coach’s challenges for offffside and goaltender interference, there were 117 challenges foroffffside, 78 ofwhich were upheld and 39 overturned. That’s a big increase from 2015-16 when there were 88 offffside challenges, 53upheldand35overturned.

“We’re in effffffffffffect trying to discourage using the coach’s challenge on offffside unless you’re really 100 percent certain that you’re going to win because it was a blown call,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The coach’s challengewas reallyintended to focus on glaring errors. And by imposing a two-minute penalty if you’re wrong, it should limit the number of challenges to those instances where there’s a glaring error.”

It’s still not perfect because a coach who wants to take a chance can still claim goalie interference in some instances. And there’s still the concern that challenges take too long to fifigure out, but the league hopes fewer unneeded reviews make for a positive step forward.

Here are some other rule changes this season:

No timeout after icing: Since 2005, teamshave been unable to make line changes after icing the puck, with the design of creating some extra offffffffffffense from fatigue. Coaches got around the rule by calling timeout to provide players some extra rest, but now that won’t be allowed.

“That’s consistentwiththe original intent of the icing rule that there was to be no substitutionby the teamthat icedthepuck,” Bettmansaid.

Faceoffff violations: This isn’t a rule change, but offifficials will be calling players for not obeying the markings around faceoffff circles.

Slashing: On-ice offifficials and the league offifficewill be taking a closer look at and calling more slashes in and around the hands to reduce injuries.