Top Line: NHL Ice Girl uniforms ranked; key stats debate; more links
• The Ice Girls concept has taken a lot of heat from some quarters this summer, but not everyone is opposed to the presence of alluringly-clad spirit squads in NHL rinks. The gang over at Icethetics offers up this rating of the best cheerleader uniforms around the league. Looks like the real competition is in the Central Division.
• Former NHL referee Paul Stewart says that there's one aspect of hockey in which the Russian version of the game has it all over the American brand. No, it's not the cheerleaders.
• Bill Meltzer has some thoughts on adaptation versus tradition in hockey, and on how both sides in the advanced stats debate have something to learn from the other.
• Tomas Hertl's four-goal game, T.J. Oshie's shootout heroics and Rich Peverley's tragic collapse top this list of the 20 defining moments of the 2013–14 NHL season. You're surprised that Patrick Roy's glass-rattling incident didn't make the cut, right?
• With the Kevin Hayes sweepstakes set to end later this week, Brian Costello lists his three favorites to secure the services of the highly sought after college free agent.
• A return to the playoffs and an active summer of spending have raised expectations in Dallas. The Stars are featured team in Monday's 30 Teams in 30 Days series on NHL.com.
• Meanwhile in Detroit, a sense of gloom and doom has descended upon the Red Wings.
• Art Dorrington missed out on his moment in NHL history, but folks in Atlantic City are reminded of his contributions to the game every day. He's one of several minority players to have been honored by having a rink named after them.
Ex-Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski has graciously nominated Randy Carlyle and Dave Nonis, his former coach and GM in Toronto, for the Ice Bucket Challenge. A bit of revenge served cold?
• The greatest German player in NHL history called it quits over the weekend. And he enlisted some of his old buddies to help him say goodbye to the game.
• Penguins GM Jim Rutherford talks about Paul George's injury and how it might impact the NHL's participation in future international events. Interesting that the piece doesn't mention any concerns about the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, an event in which the NHL will have a considerable financial stake.
• And finally,Dumb and Dumber thespian Jeff Daniels discusses the vicissitudes of being a hockey dad and more in this freewheeling interview.