Samsonov eyes future

WILMINGTON -- Once again, rookies dominated the dressing room at the Ristuccia Center yesterday, but one familiar face was working out with strength coach John Whitesides as the hopefuls wrapped up their on-ice sessions.

Sergei Samsonov, who won't officially report to full camp until Monday, said it felt good to be back. Samsonov, now entering his eighth pro season at age 26, elected to sign his one-year qualifying offer of $2.774 million and is due to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He said it is not a foregone conclusion that he will test the market. Once Jan. 1 rolls around, the Bruins can again begin negotiating with him.

''I've been here a long time, I like the team, and I have a lot of friends here, so it would make sense to stay here," said Samsonov. ''But then again, who knows what is going to happen a year from now? I think we left it on pretty good terms and we just kind of took it a day at a time. It was coming closer to the day where I had to make a decision and we ended up signing the qualifying offer, but the door is still open, definitely."

Samsonov signed his qualifying offer before captain Joe Thornton inked a three-year pact and Glen Murray signed on for four years. Samsonov said knowing that in advance wouldn't have made a difference.

''For me, [it made sense to] sign a one-year deal," Samsonov said. ''They were getting close to the salary cap and there were still a lot of players that still needed to be signed. [The new financial landscape] is going to take some time to get used to for everybody, management, players, fans. You saw how many players changed teams, players you never thought would be leaving. It's a different world, definitely."

Fans can expect to see Samsonov line up alongside veteran center Alexei Zhamnov to see if they can generate the same chemistry Thornton and Murray share.

''I like the way he plays," said Samsonov, who was on the same Russian Olympic roster with Zhamnov in 2002 but played on a different line. ''I think he's really underrated. He has had a great career. He's such a great two-way player, I think Bruins fans are going to love him. Somebody brought up a good point -- he was the only Russian player named to be captain in the NHL, and he was captain for Chicago and that tells you a lot. He's obviously a leader and brings a lot to the locker room. He's the full package."

On the job

Coach Mike Sullivan returned from Colorado Springs, after participating in Team USA's evaluation camp. He will serve as an assistant coach for the Americans during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in February. ''It was a great experience," said Sullivan. ''It's certainly an honor to be a part of that, but right now my mind is set on the Bruins and I'm excited to get our training camp under way. It's a lot of fun to watch hockey again, that's for sure." Sullivan said it doesn't seem as if the NHL missed an entire season. ''It seems we're right back in the swing of things," he said. ''It's a strange feeling, but it's certainly a good feeling and we're excited. [General manager Mike O'Connell] has done a great job of assembling a group of talented players and now it's our challenge to make them a team." . . . Individual game tickets will go on sale this morning at 10 at the Garden box office, through BostonBruins.com, by phone at 617-624-BEAR and all TicketMaster outlets. Those buying tickets may skate on the Garden ice from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Proof of purchase is required. No sticks or pucks will be allowed and helmets are mandatory for children 15 and under. Travis Green and Murray will be on the benches from 10-11 a.m. to greet fans and sign autographs. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Boyes, and Hannu Toivonen will skate with fans from 1-2 p.m.