Offside rule will be a big topic of discussion at NHL GM meetings

NHL general managers could redefine the definition of offside when they gather in Boca Raton, Fla., for their annual meetings Monday through Wednesday.

GMs will consider whether the plane of the blue line should be used to determine whether a player is offside.

According to Rule 83.1, a player is offside when "both skates are completely over the leading edge of the blue line." That means if a player’s skate is not touching the ice, even if he is still above the blue, he is in an offside position. That has become a major issue since the coach’s challenge allowed for video replay of offside reviews.

“The coach’s challenge for offside has created a lot of frustration and I think we should take a good look at how we can still get it right, which is the bottom line, but do it in a more efficient, accurate way,” Nashville Predators general manager David Poile told Paste BN Sports.

If the NHL goes to the plane of the blue line, it would be like the NFL's touchdown rule, and would make it easier to determine offside on video replay. It is believed it will lead to more goals.

The March GM meetings center on a review of potential rule changes or amendments. The GMs often make recommendations at this meeting, and those recommendations are then considered by the NHL Competition Committee, made up of players, NHL officials and team officials. The league’s Board of Governors has final say on all rule changes.

League officials also provide the general managers updates on important issues, such as the salary cap. One of the key concerns this year could be whether the NHL will allow its players to play in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.