The Swedish Hockey League has recorded its lowest number of video goal assessments in a regular season. The drop comes after referees gained direct audio contact with the Situations room in Stockholm. Sport chief Johan Hemlin confirmed the figures and explained the change.
SHL registered 100 video goal reviews during the most recent regular season. That total is down from 123 the year before and marks an all-time low since the league began tracking the statistic.
Hemlin attributed part of the reduction to completed arena connections. Referees now receive information through headsets instead of walking to the speaker box to consult video. The Situations room can relay details such as whether the puck struck the post, allowing play to continue without an on-ice stoppage.
The average now stands at 0.27 video reviews per match. Players and captains are informed directly on the ice when the room clears a situation without requiring a formal review.
Hemlin noted that complex goal-mouth scrambles still require referees to leave the ice for visual checks. The league has no immediate plans to add public announcements explaining non-reviews to spectators.
