New Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets at Wednesday’s trade deadline for fellow backstop Michael Leighton, is reportedly close to inking a contact extension with the club.

According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Mason “is likely to sign a one-year deal” with the Flyers, for less than his current average annual salary cap hit of $2.9 million.

If Mason does re-up, it will only fuel speculation that Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren is at least considering buying out high-earning starter Ilya Bryzgalov after the season.

The Calgary Flames have signed goaltender Laurent Brossoit to an three-year entry-level contract.

Brossoit was named the CHL goaltender of the week on Tuesday after helping the Edmonton Oil Kings reach the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

He posted a 4-1 record with two shutouts, a goals-against average of 0.76 and save percentage of .968 as the Oil Kings beat the Kootenay Ice in five games in the first round.

The native of Surrey, B.C., finished the WHL regular season third in goals-against average (2.25), sixth in save percentage (.917) and seventh in wins (33) and shutouts (five).

He was selected by the Flames in the sixth round, 164th overall, of the 2011 NHL draft.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed high-scoring forward Steven Whitney to a two-year, entry-level contract.

The Ducks announced the deal Thursday with Whitney, who spent the past four seasons at Boston College.

Whitney was one of the nation’s best available undrafted free agents after scoring 45 points in 38 games for the Eagles this season, ranking second in the nation with 26 goals. He won the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born college hockey player in New England.

Boston College won two NCAA titles and all four Beanpot tournaments during Whitney’s career. The Massachusetts native scored 128 points in 160 career games.

Whitney is likely to start his pro career with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate in Norfolk.

San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been fined for slashing Minnesota Wild‘s Dany Heatley.

The NHL fined Vlasic $8,378.38 for the infraction at the end of Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the Wild.

Vlasic and Heatley were jostling in the closing seconds of the game. After Vlasic delivered a cross check, Heatley responded by swinging his stick at Vlasic. He missed and Vlasic retaliated and hit Heatley with his stick.

The Wild were upset after the game because Heatley was hurt. But the NHL says the injury came in the ensuing scrum and not from the slash.

Hockey Hall of Fame chairman and chief executive officer Bill Hay has announced that he will retire later this year, according to TSN.ca.

Selection committee co-chairman Pat Quinn will take over as chairman while president Jeff Denomme will add CEO duties to his job title, the Hockey Hall of Fame said Thursday in a release. Hay will retire July 31 and the succession appointments will become effective August 1.

Hay was appointed as chairman and CEO in July 1998. He previously spent 17 years on the selection committee and has served 18 years on the board of directors, including the past 15 years as chairman.

Under his leadership, the Hall has strengthened relations with constituents like the IIHF, NHL, NHLPA and Hockey Canada, and has invested over $30 million in capital assets including two major expansion projects.

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The 2013 NHL TradeDeadlines is behind us but there is still plenty of  NHL rumors and news to stay up on. Here are some quick hits from around the league:

• Following one of the more surprising trade-deadline deals, a fresh start awaits Marian Gaborik with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch proposes Gaborik will play on the Blue Jackets top line alongside center Ryan Johansen and left winger R.J. Umberger starting Thursday against the Nashville Predators. It’s a role GM Jarmo Kekalainen hopes the 31-year-old fills for a good long while.
  
• The Boston Bruins aren’t asking Wade Redden snagged in a deal with the St. Louis Blues to play each and every game. Or even most games. As discussed by Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, the Bruins hope the veteran defenseman is able to satisfactorily fill in as injury relief, or if one of the kids hits a rough patch.
• Even a fire sale can have its limitations. Turns out forward Curtis Glencross and defenseman Mark Giordano weren’t available after all. According to the Calgary Sun, Glencross and Giordano topped a very short list of Calgary Flames ‘untouchables’ ahead of Wednesday’s trade deadline.

Darren Dreger reports via Twitter that the Colorado Avalanche have traded Ryan O’Byrne to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 4th round pick.

Pierre LeBrun is reporting via Twitter that Raffi Torres has been traded from the Phoenix Coyotes to the San Jose Sharks for a 3rd round pick.