As the NHL pauses for the Olympic break, it’s a perfect time to step back and take stock of some of the finer details that often get buried in the nightly grind. One of those? Coaches' challenges-specifically, the high-risk, high-reward gamble of goaltender interference reviews.
This season, we've seen 163 coaches’ challenges across the league, with 67 of those tied to goaltender interference. Of those 67, only 24 resulted in goals being overturned.
That’s a 36% success rate-not exactly a slam dunk. And considering that a failed challenge means a two-minute minor for delay of game, coaches have to weigh their options carefully.
It's not just about being right-it's about being right enough to justify the risk.
Let’s talk about Martin St-Louis and the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs have dipped into the goalie interference challenge just twice this season.
One was a win-against the Chicago Blackhawks. The other, against the Colorado Avalanche, didn’t go their way.
But credit to the Canadiens’ penalty kill-they bailed the team out and kept the scoreboard clean.
Now, if you're wondering who’s been the most trigger-happy with the interference challenge this year, look no further than the Washington Capitals. They've used it six times, but only came out on top twice.
The downside? Four failed challenges led to two power-play goals against-one each from the Senators and the Canucks.
That’s the kind of swing that can shift momentum in a game, or even turn a win into a loss.
Four other teams have leaned on the challenge five times: the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Calgary and Chicago both had two successful calls and, importantly, didn’t get burned by any power-play goals when their challenges failed.
Ottawa also had two goals overturned and managed to kill off the penalties that followed the misses. Pittsburgh, though?
Tough sledding. None of their five challenges were successful, and they surrendered one power-play goal in the process.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the lone team with exactly four interference challenges. They’ve been pretty sharp with it-three of those calls went their way.
But when it didn’t? They paid the price with a power-play goal against.
Now here’s where it gets interesting: the Blackhawks aren’t just one of the most frequent users of the goaltender interference challenge-they’re also the team that’s been hit the hardest by it. They’ve had three goals disallowed due to interference, more than any other team in the league. Eight other teams have had two goals wiped out, and five-including Montreal-have seen one goal taken off the board.
That dual role as both aggressor and victim makes Chicago’s situation particularly notable. On one hand, they’re trying to use the rule to their advantage.
On the other, they’re getting stung by it more than anyone else. It’s a tough balance, especially for a young team led by the likes of Conor Bedard, still finding its footing in the league.
As for the Canadiens, they’ve come a long way when it comes to crease discipline. Only two of their goals have been challenged for goalie interference this season.
Compare that to 2015-16-the first season we have this data-when nine of their goals were challenged and four were overturned. That’s a big shift in how this team plays around the net.
Back then, with players like Brendan Gallagher making a living in the blue paint, the Habs were frequent targets for interference reviews. Now?
They’re playing smarter, cleaner hockey in front of the net.
So, what does all this tell us? The goaltender interference challenge remains one of the NHL’s most unpredictable tools.
It can swing a game, fire up a bench, or put your team shorthanded in a heartbeat. And while some teams are willing to roll the dice more often than others, the numbers show that success is far from guaranteed.
As the season resumes post-Olympics, it’ll be worth watching which coaches continue to bet on interference-and which ones decide the risk just isn’t worth the reward.