NHL coaching trends and new bench minor challenge rules
NHL coaching instability persists with 28 of 32 clubs making changes since February 2022. Recent developments include Sheldon Keefe leading the Devils to a five-game winning streak and new enforcement rules for bench minor challenges and puck out of play scenarios.
The NHL head coaching carousel has been a whirlwind over the last two years. Since February 2022, 28 of the 32 clubs have made a change at the position. This includes seven transitions in the middle of the 2023-24 season and four more vacancies that opened at the end of that season. Sheldon Keefe, who led the Maple Leafs to a 212-97-40 regular season record, now leads the New Jersey Devils. Keefe led the Devils to five straight wins, which was the longest winning streak for the organization since January 2023. I watched his team secure a 5-2 win over his former club on October 21, 2025, where Jack Hughes scored a hat trick. The coaching instability in the NHL remains high because 28 of the 32 clubs have made changes since February 2022. This includes seven transitions in the middle of the 2023-24 season. The league saw Dan Bylsma join the Kraken and Craig Berube take over in Toronto. Berube, who is known for being aggressive and demanding, arrived in Toronto on May 17, 2024, after the Blues fired him in mid-December. The Kraken also considered Jay Leach before selecting Hakstol.
Buffalo seeks stability with new leadership
Buffalo is attempting to stabilize after Jarmo Kekalainen took over as general manager. The Sabres hired Lindy Ruff to replace Don Granato to help the team move past its rebuild. I would skip the idea that Ruff should move to President of Hockey Operations this season. Ruff coached the team from 1997 to 2013, and he is now in his second stint. The team has 32 points as they look to avoid another season without playoffs. You should know that a change in both management and coaching often prevents a team from reaching the postseason. Since the 2024 offseason, the league saw many shifts, such as the hiring of Ryan Warsofsky in San Jose. San Jose is in a prime position to land the No. 1 pick in Macklin Celebrini after their rebuilding year. Jim Hiller became the 30th full-time head coach in Los Angeles after the team parted ways with Todd McClellan. In Ottawa, Travis Green took the head coaching job after Jacques Martin served as interim. The Senators also replaced D.J. Smith with Jacques Martin earlier this year. Other departures included Dean Evason in Minnesota and the hiring of John Hynes. Will the addition of Kekalainen provide enough support for Ruff to lead the team back to the postseason?
New enforcement for game flow and officials
New enforcement for the bench minor challenge is now active. If a player sits on the boards, a linesman tells the referee, who then provides the offending team a warning. The referee issues a bench minor penalty on the next infraction. For high-sticking minors, teams can use a Coach’s Challenge if a player is struck by a teammate’s stick, the puck, or his own stick. The defending team cannot make a line change when a skater accidentally dislodges the net. This adjustment to Rule 63.8 aims to prevent the offending team from gaining an advantage after the net moves. Regarding the puck leaving the play, the Coach’s Challenge for a puck out of play only applies if the puck is deflected off a player, a stick, or the boards, rather than being a judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone. Following an icing, the offensive center receives a warning before being tossed from a draw. If a concussion spotter directs the mandatory removal of a goaltender, the replacement receives a 45-to-60 second warm-up, and the faceoff moves to the neutral zone. Additionally, the league decided that if a goalie deliberately displaces the post during a breakaway, officials award a goal to the non-offending team. The league also decided that current standards for goalie mask stoppages are sufficient.
