I think the NHL has been making some smart moves lately, likely knowing that they are at a crossroads in their sport, and potentially have the ability to steal a lot of fans (or steal them back) if the NBA and/or NFL lose part or all of next season. They are starting the process of moving on from the failed expansion to non-hockey cities. They are realizing that their best chance to recapture a market in the US is on the East coast, in cities like Boston, NY and Philly, and they are not alienating them by keeping the start time of all finals games to 8pm, instead of 9pm, since the West coast isn't as likely to watch them as much anyways.
But to me, the best move they have made was by responding to public questions about a conflict of interest in the league office, by having Colin Campbell, whose son plays for the Bruins step down from his position of league disciplinarian, and essentially the boss of all of the refs.
Whether it is true or not, there was a perception (conspiracy theory?) building that Campbell's position could influence the refs to favor the B's. I don't think anyone thought it was a directive, but there is a legitimate concern that on a 50/50 call, the refs may, perhaps unconsciously, favor the team with their boss' son on it, since that could concievably favor their careers going forward.
So, as soon as this hit the airwaves, the NHL didn't take the NBA's approach of ignoring the situation, sweeping it under the rug, and hoping the game would speak for itself. They know that they have a lot of fans on the edge right now, and even the slightest question of inpropriety could sway them away from this league. So, they are pro-active. They have Campbell step down before the series starts. This eliminates the chances of questions coming up, if the B's get a favorable call or two that influence a game.
Sure, it might hurt their pride a bit, because they know they are clean, and that the accusations are most likely baseless. But they are not in a position to be proud. They are trying to grow their league, and by actually addressing these questions in such a swift way, they made it 100% clear that they care what the fans think, and they care about not only maintaining the integrity of the game...but also maintaining the perception of integrity.
I think David Stern could take a few lessons here.