Several items:
The same video that is being used to justify minimal contact shows Torres lifting into the hit. Not so much as to have his skates leave the ice, but lifting nonetheless. That probably did not go in his favor.
Blake is on the panel along with Shanny. IMO, DW used his golden tongue to get this reduced. Even using the league's unwritten policy of 3 reg season to 1 playoff game, it is maximally an 18 game suspension. It is in contradiction to their past behavior of escalating suspensions. IMO, the reason for this is that the infraction was much lesser than past behaviors.
I would not get into the definite/indefinite CBA argument as that might end up as a full six games and/or bias the appeal. On appeals, watch out. When they go for neutral arbitrators, you are talking about professional arbitrators, many of whom have never been hockey fans much less players in their lives. You might find that their decisions are even more unfavorable. In almost all actions, the league and players are loathe to go to the neutral arbitrators (see salary arbitration).
I wouldn't dream of wanting Campbell or Burke back in charge of league discipline. Their decisions were flat out awful and monstrously more inconsistent. And Shanny at least gives explanations even if you disagree with his reasoning. A good example of how bad it was before was initially not even giving a suspension to Pronger for his stomping incident and then reversing to a minimal suspension after a public outcry.
IMO, the suspension was an admission of Torres' hit not being in the range of previous hits in terms of severity. The hit that was most comparable to the Stoll hit and for which he was not suspended was the Seabrook hit. (If someone has a video, great.) At the time, Burke (surprise, not Shanny) explained that what would be an illegal headshot above the goal line was considered legal below the goal line on a forecheck (IMO BS in terms of player safety). The Seabrook hit was much more clear in terms of direct and almost sole contact to the head. The Stoll hit had other points of contact.
I would appreciate it if people admitted that initial point of contact and principle point of contact are different definitions. Initial does not equate to principle. And, be careful with wording of rules; the wording is designed to be less than specific.
IMO, DW has made a good case for Torres re-signing with the Sharks, by his support of Torres.
I won't even go into infractions behaviors of other players in this playoffs. I have seen worse.
