It's funny, you say I'm bickering over this, when you are doing the exact same thing as me. Pot meet kettle. I guess I'm supposed to shut up and agree with you.
Referencing the rule that the argument is over is grasping at straws? Do you know what that phrase means? I guess instead of using the rulebook to determine if said rule is broken, I should listen to a random guys argument since he has provided undeniable "proof" via some TSN and Sportsnet articles
Once again, your proof is crap. Just because slashing was called more last year does not automatically mean that the type of slash we are talking about was called more. You seem to not understand this.
The links you provided all cite extreme cases such as Gaudreau and Methot as the motivation behind this change. That's what the NHL is trying to stop.
The argument is over whether or not Marner's slash is actually a slash. No where in your "proof" does it state that any contact on a players glove/stick is a penalty. Nor does it line up with the NHL rulebook which is what the refs are trying to enforce.
"It was called 50x more last year". You have still shown no proof to back up this statement. Slashes were called more. That is all you have proven. Not the type.
Keep changing the goal posts though.