BOCA RATON, Fla. -- NHL general managers are considering change to the league's goalie interference review process.
The topic, which has emerged as one of the league's hottest issues, was supposed to be discussed for about an hour and a half on the first day of the NHL's spring GM meetings. Instead, it dominated Monday's entire agenda, a discussion that took more than three hours -- and counting.
"Well first of all, you're right about the time spent on it," Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "That's all we did speak about, and it's going to be continued [Tuesday]."
While nothing was decided, Lamoriello hinted that reform could be coming before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next month.
"There should be change and there will be," Lamoriello said. "It's just making sure it's the right thing. I think we also have to be very careful and dwell on that something is majorly wrong. We had several isolated incidents that maybe were flagrant and people disagreed with and they sort of upstaged everything. So we have to be careful with that."
Coaches were given the option to challenge for goalie interference before the 2015-16 season. Out of the 1,114 games played so far this season -- which featured 6,593 goals scored -- there have been 170 video reviews for goaltender interference.
NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said that of the 170 reviews, there was internal debate within his department on "nine at the most, possibly six" of the scoring plays.
"The percentage of that is minuscule," Campbell said.
Those numbers have led some general managers to be passive on the issue.
"I think overall, there is nothing major wrong with the system," Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said. "It's working, it's working well. It's just a few ones that are making it more difficult to judge."
During Monday's session, Campbell and director of officiating Stephen Walkom showed the league's 31 general managers video of several controversial calls from the season.
According to Campbell, not everyone in the room agreed on what the right calls should be -- highlighting the subjective nature of the issue. The league also invited Dan O'Halloran, an active NHL referee, to be present at the meetings.
"I don't know if it's ever going to be firm, because they're subjective calls," Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said. "[We're] just trying to clarify the standards."
A change to the review process is more likely than an in-season rule change. For the latter to occur, the NHL Players' Association would have to weigh in, then each of the 31 general managers would need to give an affirmative vote.