AHL Implementing Video Review for Upcoming Season

The Norfolk Admirals were the better team in this year’s Calder Cup Final. They deserved to win.

Every championship team has to have a good mix of skill and luck to go all the way. Against the Toronto Marlies in game three, a bad bounce resulted in an overtime victory for the Admirals, staking themselves to a 3-0 series lead that was too much to overcome. It was a fluke goal. But one that, upon a second glance, shouldn’t have counted at all; the play was offside.

If there was video review, the play would have been blown dead and that fluke goal wouldn’t have been a goal at all. But the play wasn’t reviewable. Not only was it a lucky bounce for Norfolk, but it was a missed call in their favor. The Marlies were obviously disappointed, but accepted the situation.

We’ll never know if they could have won that game, or what would have happened if they did. The Admirals could have still won the game on a later play had this goal in fact been called back. They were in the driver’s seat in the series and had a good chance of winning the Cup anyway. But, nevertheless, the Marlies were on the wrong end of a bad call in a very important game. The league acknowledged the mistake and while they couldn’t rectify it for Toronto, they may now be able to prevent it from happening again.

The Board has also approved a test of a variation on Rule 81 (“Icing”) at the request of the National Hockey League, that will, in the event of a potential icing violation, complete the play should a defending player be the first to reach the end zone face-off dots and provided the puck has crossed the goal line at that point. This rule will be in effect until Nov. 19, 2012, at which time its continued use will be determined by the Board. This was the only rules test approved. (AHL.com)

The AHL board of governors approved the introduction of video review and while it may have been too little too late to appease the Toronto Marlies, it’s about time the AHL takes this step forward. Among other changes, the league will also be trying out a new hybrid icing rule that the NHL is hoping to get a good look at.