Over the weekend, the 2019 NHL Draft unfolded. But on Thursday, the NHL’s general managers approved a few rule changes that were formally announced that afternoon by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Several of the changes are seemingly designed in response to the challenges faced by officials during the 2019 playoffs, but it’s unclear if they’ll achieve their intended objectives.
As outlined by Bettman and other NHL officials at Thursday’s press conference, the rule changes include minor tweaks designed to improve offense, flow of the game, and to improve player safety, in addition to expanded video review to ensure they get the calls right.