Goal or No Goal? The NHL's call for enhanced video review technology

In the high-speed world of the NHL, where every goal counts, video reviews are vital in establishing whether or not a play ended up being a goal. One call can change the fate of a game, a period, or even a playoff series. The current review system has some merits, but it is far from perfect. Oftentimes, it arrives at inconclusive decisions that frustrate players and fans alike. Clearly, the NHL needs to upgrade its review technology to meet the requirements of the game.

NHL Review System: A Work in Progress

The purpose of reviewing plays is to make the right call, and while it seems to be working in most cases, a lot of work is left to be done. The biggest issue at hand is how long it truly takes to review the big play. An example of this would be the fifth-minute review of a critical play involving Cole Perfetti in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues. Perfetti’s one-timer seemed to cross the goal line, but with Blues goalie Jordan Binnington’s glove partially in the net, the officials were unable to confirm the outcome with certainty. The NHL Situation Room ultimately upheld the no-goal call, citing that there was not enough evidence to overturn that decision.
This kind of indecision can be very costly. Had it counted, the goal would have propelled the Jets toward a comeback, shifting the momentum in their favor. Instead, the Jets went on to lose by a score of 7-2, a loss partially dictated by the controversial no-goal call. These instances showcase the need to take an even more surgical approach and quicker means to determine whether a goal is or is not.
The other area the current system is struggling with is identifying offside calls, and the reviews tend to take a while. An example of this came as late as January 2024, when Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid was left visibly frustrated after a 15-minute review to determine offside for a Zach Hyman goal. The time taken, besides affecting the flow of the game, called into question the efficacy of the review system itself.

Moving Towards the Tech Seen in Soccer and Tennis

Conversely, sports such as soccer, tennis, and football have made huge advances in their use of technology for any sort of goal-related decisions. Hawk-Eye soccer goal-line technology has been in use since 2013 for detecting when the ball has fully crossed the goal line. In this vein, tennis has been using it since 2002 for Electronic Line Calling, giving real-time feedback to players and officials. The NFL recently announced it will use Hawk-Eye for 8K camera-based measures to determine whether the ball crosses the line to gain.
There is currently no similar technology present in the NHL for goal-line reviews, whereas good use of NHL Edge technology for advanced stats goes unacknowledged in the league for a system that could instantly verify the scoring of a goal or a player’s onside position. With this technology gap, we are seeing the eventuality in postseason competition where an inch here or there could turn the whole outcome.
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While the NHL stands on the doorstep with an eye toward video review technology, some advancements already are in place, but the lack of credible real-time technology for goal-line or offside reviews is a real sticking point. In the modern age, other sports keep on extensively adopting revolutionary technology to ensure accurate decisions for all; the NHL should follow suit lest it find itself needing to catch up and provide a better experience for players and fans. The NHL certainly needs to adopt an advanced tracing technology, as used in soccer and tennis.

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