Of all the parts of the coach’s challenge, using it to challenge an offside play remains the most controversial. The basis for the challenge is simple: “We just want to get the call right.” Here’s the problem: It seems many times the coaches challenge calls, the referees go under the hood and ... the calls aren’t corrected. Or, in many cases, the evidence is “inconclusive.” This could, at least in part, be blamed on putting too much responsibility on in-arena officials. Should the league office in Toronto just handle the reviews?
One case that sparked controversy, and something I found baffling, was the offside challenge by the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday in their game against the Minnesota Wild.