Tick-tock tick-tock goes the ancient clock.

As I publish this the Maple Leafs have not yet announced a deal with Ilya Samsonov on a new contract, and the arbitration hearing looms large. It is reported the hearing will start at 9:00 a.m. today, meaning that unless these two sides come to a last minute deal they are all in on having the arbitrator decide the salary of a one year contract for Samsonov.

Either way, we know now the Leafs second buyout window will open early next week, Sunday or Monday, so get out your salary cap calculators.

UPDATE: it's now well after 9:00 a.m. and no deal has been announced, so we can assume the arbitration hearing is underway and no deal was reached in advance. This means the arbitrator will have 48 hours to deliver a ruling after the end of the hearing. The Leafs buyout window will open at 5:00 p.m. ET on the third day after that ruling.

Meanwhile, the Leafs were busy yesterday filling out the assistant coaching staff by hiring Mike Van Ryn and Guy Boucher while shuffling around responsibilities for the rest of the staff. You can read our coverage here:

Maple Leafs hire Assistant Coaches
Guy Boucher and Mike Van Ryn join the Leafs.
Cathy SquiresPPP Leafs

Here's Sheldon Keefe answering media questions about the new hires:

Other News

A brawl broke out in the post-game handshake line at a tournament in Bangkok between the Hong Kong and Thailand Under-18 teams. As far as I can tell this was not an IIHF run event, but something organised between the individual national hockey associations. The Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association notes on their website that this was to be a “NON-CONTACT” tournament. It looks like most of the players missed that and there was even some stick swinging in the melee.

However one player decided to take "non-contact" quite literally. Congrats to #24, whoever you are. You stole the show!

The new head of the NHLPA is starting to do some press and laying out his vision for where he thinks the players and the league should be heading.

Union head focused on getting back in OIympics
New NHL union head Marty Walsh is focused on getting players back into the Olympics.
Greg WyshynskiESPN

One of Great Britain's top hockey players ever died suddenly in a car crash in British Columbia when his car veered off the road and hit a tree. He was 33 years old.

Great Britain national hockey player killed in crash on Vancouver Island
A single-vehicle crash on Vancouver Island has claimed the life of a star player on Great Britain’s national hockey team. The Shawnigan Lake RCMP are investigating the collision that killed 33-year-old Mike Hammond of Langford early Wednesday morning.
Vancouver Island

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