If you're convinced that today's 5 PM deadline for non-refundable expansion bids was the be-all-end-all (Quebecor Media and Las Vegas' NHL bidders were the ones who made deposits today), all you need to listen to is the first 20 seconds of this clip--of John Shannon speaking with Prime Time Sports about the expansion bidders and process--to listen for the laugh.

"This isn't the end, it's the beginning of it," says Shannon, and he goes on for another 11 minutes from there, issuing knowledgeable statements: