Personally, it's not hypocritical for me to expect more from the NHL.
The scenario you describe is only the latest step in a long story that goes back almost 30 years. Some of us serious hockey fans have been complaining for decades that the NHL has become a watered-down shadow of itself as it went overboard to change hockey from a magnificent sport with a cult-like fan base to one that is designed to appeal to casual fans who have no serious interest in the game.
Long story short ... the NHL is now at a point (just like every other major sport) where corporate sponsors are more important than fans.
I expressed this same sentiment on a thread I posted here back during the 2005 NHL lockout ...
If the fans walk away the NHL will suddenly realize who has priority. It might take years or decades for that to occur.