Confusion over goalie interference close to being gone

Last week’s proposed change to goalie interference was a slam dunk of need. NHL general managers gathered in Boca Raton, Fla., and recommended that video reviews from coach’s challenges should be taken out of the hands of on-ice officials, and decided by the league’s situation room in Toronto. The final decision had been up to the on-ice officials since the rule was implemented in 2015.

Too many different minds were ruling on various types of goalie interference, and it became confusing on what the rule was designed to do. The NHL Officials Association consists of 34 full-time referees — including Coloradans Dave Jackson, Brad Watson and Tom Chmielewski — plus eight others who split their time between the NHL and the American Hockey League. That’s too many different opinions on judgment calls. At the situation room, you will have a rotating crew made up of a handful of people who will stabilize how the rule is enforced.

The proposed rule change could begin before the Stanley Cup playoffs next month, but first it requires approval from the NHL Players’ Association competition committee and the NHL’S board of governors. Expect it to pass.

The NHL should next eliminate its offside coach’s challenge. Don’t tweak it. Eliminate it altogether.

There are two reasons the challenge should not exist. First, what does it matter if a player’s skate is in the air, above the blue line, or touching the blue paint when a teammates plays the puck across the line or dumps it in? Vertically, the player without the puck is in the same position as if his skate was on the ice.

Second, when a linesman determines a player is offside and blows his whistle to stop play, there is no coach’s challenge to overturn his possible error. It’s the human element of a judgment call. So why are we secondguessing no call if it leads to a goal? Who’s to say the linesman didn’t prevent a goal by blowing his whistle in error?

There’s a considerable distance from the blue line to the goal line. What happens in that space after the puck is brought into the zone — by the letter of the law or otherwise — rarely ever has a direct impact on an ensuing goal, or no goal because of a blown whistle.

Hockey is a fast game. Teams get only one timeout, and they have to use it wisely. Every goal is reviewed and a coach’s challenge is in place. Let’s stop slowing up the games over things that don’t matter.

All-americans. Kudos to Air Force coach Frank Serratore and his Falcons, who on Friday upset No. 1 overall seed St. Cloud State at the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional in Sioux Falls, S.D. Most players in the NCAA Tournament dream of playing at the next level — the NHL. Big programs like Minnesota, Michigan, Boston University and Denver, not too long ago, tend to over-recruit and have too many NHL draft picks or prized free agents playing for a professional contract rather than playing for an NCAA championship.

Air Force players sign a contract after their sophomore year to eliminate any hope of playing professional hockey after graduation. They sign a contract to fulfill their military commitment, and come NCAA Tournament time, their only focus is to win a championship together.

Under Serratore, Air Force has qualified for the NCAA Tournament seven times since 2007. The Falcons — who can’t recruit or sign Canadian or European players — never have embarrassed themselves. They are All-americans.

Final thought. I predict that much will be determined April 7 at the Pepsi Center, where the Avs will host the St. Louis Blues in the regular-season finale for each team. A playoff berth will go to the winner.