What about just putting a third ref upstairs and giving him full access to all the angles and pause/rewind functionality that the broadcast team has? Like give him a room with a big screen and the ability to have someone in the truck replay things from different angles. Give him a headset that switches between the guy in the truck and the refs on the ice. Then take away all team challenges, with the understanding that everything is being replayed upstairs by a third ref who can not only call things down that the refs miss, but will also be used in conjunction with the refs on the ice to get their calls right too.
It's not about someone upstairs questioning on-ice calls, and/or overriding on-ice officials. It's about the people reffing the game adding an incredibly useful tool to their team and working together to get it right.
Examples:
On-ice ref: Road #5 is down; I didn't see it.
Upstairs: Clean hit.
Linesman: Close zone entry.
Upstairs: Offside.
Linesman: *blows whistle*
(even if it's 5-10 seconds late, it's still better than a goal followed by a 5 min coach's challenge and then the goal called back)
Upstairs: Trip by Home #63
On-ice ref: *puts up arm, waits for home team to touch the puck, blows whistle, goes to the box to watch the play while talking to upstairs, calls the penalty*
Ref: Did that puck go in?
Upstairs: No goal
Ref: *blows whistle but doesn't signal a goal*
Ref: Puck in, looked like a high stick
Ref: *goes to center ice*
Upstairs: Stick high
Ref: *signals no goal*
Upstairs: Puck in. Good goal for Calgary
Ref: *blows whistle*
Ref: *watches replay while communicating with upstairs*
Ref: *goes to center ice and signals good goal*
Deputy Commissioner: *awards Conn Smythe to Jarome Iginla*
Commissioner: *awards Stanley Cup to Calgary Flames*
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