Top Line: Bissonnette's Bucket video; Robin Williams hockey parody, more

Author:
John Rolfe
Publish date:
Aug 12, 2014

An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:

• As our own Allan Muir reported yesterday, Paul Bissonnette took the Ice Bucket Challenge to bold new heights. The erstwhile BizNasty2point0 promised to post the video, and here it is. Definitely not to be missed.

• Buyer's remorse to seller's remorse: According to a bad faith lawsuit filed by hedge fund wizard Andrew Barroway, life has come full circle for Islanders owner Charles Wang who stands accused of backing out of a sale agreement and inflating the asking price for his team after he got an eyeful what the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers were going to fetch from Steve Ballmer.

• Canadiens fans surely sighed with relief after the Habs secured the services of P.K. Subban for the next eight years. Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette points to the man the faithful have to thank for saving the day just when it appeared that the team’s relationship with its popular star had soured in the wake of a contentious arbitration hearing.

• Not a day goes by, it seems, without the traditional stats vs. advanced stats debate raging on. Up in Edmonton, the hiring of analytics expert Tyler Delow by Oilers got the Edmonton Sun’s Derek Van Diest somewhat hot under the proverbial collar. Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal offers a rejoinder to Van Diest’s rant.

• According to the inimitable Sean McIndoe, it’s all over except for the shouting and Fancy Stats have carried the day. In case you’re still wondering what all the fuss is about, he offers this amusing primer on the most common objections to advanced analytics.

• There’s always a pot boiling somewhere on the sports labor front. The NHL's four-year contract with its referees is up and the league is entering talks today to start hammering out a new CBA. Will we see a reprise of what the NFL went through with its officials two years ago?

• Lots of news out of Boston, where bluelinerTorey Krug is reportedly being wooed by the KHL, winger Loui Eriksson is launching a comeback after an injury marred first season and Marc Savard has found a new off-ice gig.

• Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask sure has a whole lotta dopplegangers out there.

• On the crusty veteran front, asTeemu Selanne tries to make up his mind about playing one more season, the Daniel Alfredsson watch continues for the Red Wings.

• NHL.com’s 30-in-30 series moves on to Minnesota today with a look at what the Wild must do to take the next step on their road to the Stanley Cup.

• It's been a long time between championships for the Maple Leafs, but Toronto is nevertheless planning to award Stanley Cup rings to its title-winning teams of the 1960s.

• Rob Blake’s jersey will raised to the rafters (without him in it) at Staples Center on Jan. 17, joining those worn by Kings legends Luc Robitaille, Dave Taylor, Marcel Dionne, RogieVachon and some guy named Gretzky.

• The Ivan Hlinka U-18 tournament has entered Day 2 in Piestany, Slovakia, and Team USA will play Russia on Tuesday after being upset 4–2 by the Czech Republic on Monday.If you’re just catching up, here’s a guide to the hot prospects to watch. BTW—Canada has won this tournament 18 of the last 23 years, including the last six years in a row.

• Here’s a shocker. Henrik Lundqvist madeVanity Fair’s best-dressed list again.

• And finally, in memory of the late, great Robin Williams, a brilliant Slap Shot-esque beer ad parody from Saturday Night Live.