National Hockey League officials should face the media following difficult games, according to Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield.
Caufield made the remarks following recent matches, pointing toward a standard already established in another major North American sports league.
For more than ten years, the National Basketball Association has maintained an active communication channel between reporters and referees. Under that system, a designated pool reporter can speak with the crew chief after a disputed contest.
“The questions and answers are transcribed for then being shared through the official NBA channels, so that everyone has access to the insights on contested calls,” TVA Sports reported from NBA records.
Every evening, the league publishes a detailed report evaluating every decision made during the final two minutes of regulation or overtime. Those evaluations use specific labels for each play: Correct Call, Correct Non-Call, Incorrect Call, and Incorrect Non-Call.
Hockey observers note that a similar setup involving prominent referees like Kelly Sutherland speaking to local beat reporters remains a distant prospect in Montreal.
Basketball officials tested wearable earpieces last season to stay in direct contact with the league’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey. During a testing phase from late January to mid-February, officials communicated with the central video hub in real time.
National Hockey League director of hockey operations Colin Campbell expressed openness to expanding technology use during the general managers’ meetings in Toronto.
“Personally, I don’t like when video review is too present,” Alex Newhook told TVA Sports.
When asked about potential coaches’ challenges for penalties during the final five minutes of the third period, Montreal head coach Martin St-Louis offered a brief reply.
“I’m open to anything,” St-Louis told TVA Sports, noting that no formal recommendations have been proposed at this stage.
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