By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

With the NHL and NHLPA having struck a preliminary agreement, players have ramped up their on-ice workouts in preparation for training camp.

Eight Bruins (Tuukka Rask, Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid, Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton) participated in an informal practice at Boston University’s Agganis Arena Monday.

Local NHLers Ryan Whitney, Keith Yandle, Brandon Yip, and Jay Pandolfo also participated in the session. Ex-NHLer Mike Grier led the practice.

“Words can’t describe it,” Seguin said of how much he’s missed the NHL. “From hanging out with the guys, seeing everyone, and obviously the game. It’s been a long couple months. I had a lot of fun over in Europe as well.”

The league has yet to announce the schedule for the regular season. The players have not been told when training camp will start. They will continue their practices at BU until they are given the green light to practice at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. Their most important task is to ramp up to game shape.

“You never know until you’re playing games,” said Lucic, who did not sign in Europe during the lockout. “I tried to keep myself in shape. We still have two more weeks here of skating. I’ve never had a problem with my conditioning at any level. I’ll be ready.”

* Ference participated in the lockout-ending bargaining sessions in New York. “When it was teetering there, I think there were people on both sides that were ready to blow the whole thing up,” Ference said of negotiations. “It was pretty scary there to think of when you think long-term of what that would actually mean to everybody. It was pretty intense.”

* Ference was involved in the ouster of former executive director Paul Kelly. Had Kelly still been in place, Ference believes the lockout would have ended earlier. “We’d be playing. For sure,” Ference said. “I’m sure we wouldn’t have missed as much hockey. I think the league would have been salivating.”

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference lamented the length of the NHL lockout while defending the players' negotiating stance during an interview with WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show Monday.

"I'm definitely relieved in many ways," said Ference about the end of the dispute. "I'm relieved because I saw how close it came from both sides to pulling the plug on the season. I can't possibly imagine what another lost year would have done to our sport."

Ference was in the room when a deal got done early Sunday. He said negotiations broke off into smaller groups, and that the final moments of coming to an agreement were not as dramatic as you might expect them to be.

"Everybody kind of looked at each other for a couple seconds and that was it," said Ference.

Much damage has already been done as the lockout dragged on into January, but Ference said as a player he had to defend his rights. He said he was happy with the decision of the union to hire Donald Fehr as its executive director, calling it "the best decision we could have possibly made" despite the final collective bargaining agreement offering several concessions to NHL ownership.

"You can sit there and paint a perfect picture for yourself on what a great CBA looks like," said Ference. "But at the end of the day you have to realize that they're the owners. They're running the sport and they're running their business. They have a lot of leverage."

Ference said the "nuclear option", of blowing up the season, wasn't worth it to most players. He acknowledged that the lockout dragged on too long.

"We hear from fans who say 'Just start playing already.,'" said Ference. "But even up until a couple days ago, if we take the deal we're basically selling out a lot of young guys."

On fan reaction, Ference said, "It'll vary for sure. Everybody gets it, but the process sucks. Everything is negative about your sport. All you hear and read about is the positioning of either side. it just leaves a sour taste in everybody's mouth. I think everybody understands that there's a business side that has to get done, but I don't think there's an appreciation for the details of the agreement.

"Everyone understands that we have to go out there and put a good product out and not pretend this wasn't awful. Everybody knows it was awful."

Ference said he did not think goalie Tim Thomas would be back with the Bruins this season.

"Yeah I don't think anybody expects him to be back at all," he said.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference was among the NHL players present for this morning's announcement that a deal had been reached to end the NHL lockout.

Soon thereafter, he took to Twitter to speak his mind.

"As players we can now do what we do best. Proudly pull on our jerseys and play with complete passion for our cities and fans. I hope that we can replace the intense negativity brought on our sport with a reminder of how great it can be when the action is on the ice," he wrote, adding, "From my grandparents to our B’s fans, I am deeply sorry that we had to miss so much hockey. All we can do now is play our hearts out for you."

While his message to hockey nation seemed pretty sincere, Ference preceded it with something a little more personal and humorous. Ference is known for his concern for environmental issues, as well as his wry wit.

"For every NHL pass, a tree will be planted. Every NHL goal, a solar panel will be installed. Wait… what? Those proposals didn’t get in?!?," he tweeted.

Twitter was a prime source for reaction following the news Sunday morning. Among the notable commentary:

Bruins left wing Milan Lucic:

Happiest for you fans. Sorry that it took so long Lets put the lock out behind us and look forward to some hockey. Best Serbian Christmas

— Milan Lucic (@MilanLucic4) January 6, 2013

(Note: The above tweet was later corrected by Lucic to read "Best Serbian Christmas")

Oilers player Ryan Whitney, who attended Boston University, referring to the early December report by Channel 4's Steve Burton that the lockout could be settled soon.

Steve Burton...justtttt a bit outside

— Ryan Whitney (@ryanwhitney6) January 6, 2013

Former NHL player Jeremy Roenick:

Hockey is back! What is the NHL and NHLPA going to do to get every fan back? Fans deserve something for 4 months of anguish

— Jeremy Roenick (@Jeremy_Roenick) January 6, 2013

ESPN's John Buccigross:

Stanley Cup Prediction: New York Rangers vs. St. Louis Blues.

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) January 6, 2013

NESN Bruins broadcaster Andy Brickley:

Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to work we go!

— Andy Brickley (@AndyBrickley) January 6, 2013

The Los Angeles Kings' official Twitter account:

First order of business: raise banner.

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 6, 2013

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and players union representative Don Fehr announced a tentative agreement early Sunday morning to end the NHL lockout and end the 113-day labor dispute.

Watch the announcement in the video embedded here.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

With the NHL lockout over, the Bruins, like every other team, will scramble to launch an abbreviated training camp. They will recall their players from their current locations – Austria in Johnny Boychuk’s case, Charlestown for Shawn Thornton – and start camp in several days, most likely in Wilmington.

The NHL has yet to determine the length of the 2012-13 season. If it is a 48-game sprint, the season would most likely start on Jan. 19. The Bruins were originally scheduled to play the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. There’s no reason why that matchup should change.

Here are some of the pressing questions the Bruins will look to answer heading into camp:

1. Will the Bruins be cap-compliant for 2012-13? Yes. Marc Savard will most likely be placed on long-term injured reserve, allowing them to exceed the $70.2 million (prorated) cap by his annual average salary.

2. How long will it take the players who remained in North America to find their game legs? Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, Brad Marchand, Shawn Thornton, and Adam McQuaid were the Bruins expected to make this season’s roster who elected not to play overseas. There is nothing to replicate game play, and these players haven’t had it.”

3. Will Tim Thomas return or sit out the entire season? It’s highly unlikely the Bruins would welcome Thomas back. His announcement in May caught the organization off guard.

4. Can the Bruins find a taker for Thomas’s contract? Probably not. The cap floor, according to TSN, will be $44 million. All teams are currently above that threshold.

5. How will Tuukka Rask perform as the No. 1 starter? Rask has the pedigree and skill set to become a go-to goalie.

6. Can Tyler Seguin continue his development? Seguin is on the verge of becoming a superstar in only his third pro season.

7. How will Dougie Hamilton transition to NHL pace? It’s a big jump from juniors to the varsity. The Bruins will be cautious with the teenager, a defenseman who was the Bruins’ first-round draft pick in 2011.

8. Can Nathan Horton recover from his concussion troubles? The rest may have been beneficial for Horton. The right wing is in a contract year.

9. Will the lack of significant roster turnover help the Bruins? A quick start will be critical. In theory, the Bruins won’t have to spend much of camp becoming familiar with each other or studying systems.

10. Who will be the No. 3 left wing? Chris Bourque and Jordan Caron could be in the running to skate with Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. Caron, however, didn’t make the most of his Providence time.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

Bruins Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin both played for the Canada team that won the Spengler Cup in Switzerland on Monday.

Bergeron had a goal and three assists in Canada's 7-2 victory over host HC Davos in the final. He scored the first goal just 46 seconds into the game.

Seguin had a goal and an assist in the annual holiday tournament, one of the oldest of its kind.

Both Bruins had been playing for clubs in Switzerland, but are headed back to Boston to await a possible resolution to the NHL lockout, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

The NHL on Thursday made a few significant tweaks to its most recent collective bargaining agreement offer, and one optimistic NHL team executive contacted this morning said he believes it will be a ''tipping point'' in the negotiations.

The new offer, first reported by ESPN's Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun), has the league willing to extend by one year its term limits on individual player contracts. Instead of limiting deals to five years, and increasing those deals to seven years if the player re-signs with his current club, the league has offered to increase its offer to 6 years/7years.

The players have been seeking an eight-year term limit.

Other reporters and bloggers have tweeted Friday morning that the league is standing firm on its desire for a new CBA to span 10 seasons, with either side given the chance to opt out after eight years. The NHLPA has been seeking an eight-year deal with a six-year opt out.

The league also has re-stated its offer of $300 million for the hotly-contested ''make whole'' provision, dollars the union has insisted be made available to prevent players currently under contract from taking a potential severe rollback in compensation. When talks broke off two weeks ago, the league hinted heavily that the $300 million offer would be reduced when/if a new offer was made.

It is believed the NHL's latest offer includes a $70.2 million salary cap for what remains of the 2012-13 season. The league then wants the cap to fall to $60 million for the start of the 2013-14 season. The Players' Association no doubt will seek to increase the $60 million figure.

As of early Friday evening, the union had not formally responded to the league offer.

If these tweaks provide traction to cut a deal, it's possible the union could vote to ratify within, say, the next five to seven days, leading to an abbreviated training camp. If so, it's likely the league would play a 48-game regular season, to begin approximately Jan. 18 and wrapping up at the start of May.

A full round of Stanley Cup playoffs would follow, with a potential Game 7 of the Cup final played no later than the June 20-25 time period.

The NHL lockout, the third in league history, began Sept. 16. Friday is Day No. 104. Keep in mind, when the league and players ended the 1994-95 lockout, agreement was not reached until Jan. 11, and play resumed on Jan. 20.

By Jason Mastrodonato, Globe Correspondent

Not playing hockey, or getting paid, isn’t ideal, but Shawn Thornton has an advantage over many other players during this NHL lockout: He can continue doing what he does better than most — beat the snot out of people.

With the lockout in Day 82, and owners suspending talks in New York and rejecting the latest proposals from the NHLPA, the Bruins enforcer has had plenty of extra time to get to the gym. And box. And do jujitsu.

You know, normal Thornton stuff.

“I’m actually in pretty good shape right now,” he said Thursday from a charity event hosted by Kevin Youkilis downtown. “Conditioning shouldn’t be a problem. I enjoy it. That’s the easy part.

“We skate every day. I’m still boxing, doing jujitsu, still lifting, doing all that stuff to stay at my optimal playing weight.”

Thornton said, if necessary, he would go to New York to help the cause.

“Sidney [Crosby] is there,” he said. “So that’s good.”

Thornton remains “cautiously optimistic” the NHL stalemate ends soon.

“I hope it’s the now, not the never,” he said. “Every day that goes by ticks away at the calendar and the clock. And we lose paychecks every day too. And [the owners] lose revenue and games played every day. So I hope the sense of urgency is finally kicking in on both sides.”

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

In desperate need of finding middle ground in their stalled negotiations aimed at forging a new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association agreed Monday to include at least one Federal mediator at their next bargaining session, possibly as early as Wednesday.

The mediation process is non-binding, meaning the two sides are not obligated to follow or accept any recommendations rendered by the mediators.

George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington, D.C. said in a statement:

"I have had separate, informal discussions with the key representatives of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association during the course of their negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement. At the invitation of the FMCS, and with the agreement of both parties, the ongoing negotiations will now be conducted under our auspices. I have assigned Deputy Director Scot L. Beckenbaugh, Director of Mediation Services John Sweeney, and Commissioner Guy Serota to serve as the mediators."

The two sides sought the aid of Federal mediators during the NHL's lockout of 2004-'05, but the move did not succeed in forging a deal The entire season was finally scrubbed in January and the parties finally negotiated a deal without the help of mediators in July '05.

The NHL lockout, the third in league history, began Sept. 16. On Friday, the league cancelled all regular-season games through Dec. 14 as well as the January All-Star game scheduled for Columbus. Previously this month, the league also cancelled its iconic Winter Classic game, slated for Jan. 1 at the University of Michigan between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.

It looked as though we would see some traction today in the NHL contract talks, with strong indications by late morning that the lockout could be coming to a close and the game finally returning to a rink year you.

The NHLPA, the players' union, this morning in New York City put an offer on the table that in significant portions mirrored what NHL owners offered them on Oct. 16.

But by shortly after 3 p.m., it was clear, based on comments by union leader Donald Fehr after talks broke off for the day, that the league remained unimpressed by the players' offer.

''No reciprocity in any meaningful sense,'' Fehr said, referring to some of the major issues the players' offer addressed.

Roughly an hour after the meeting broke up, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the media, ''We are still very far apart.'' However, he did acknowledge that the PA's offer moved toward the league's proposal and noted the day's talks yielded some traction.

It's possible that talks will resume Friday, following the Thanksgiving holiday.

It took the PA slightly more than five weeks to reckon with the harsh reality that the owners are serious about gaining major financial givebacks, and today's response by the union more closely resembled the ''50/50'' offer that owners put on the table in October when the lockout was but a month old. In essence, the players finally were prepared to split in half the game's gross revenues, which last year totaled some $3.3 billion.

Today's offer had the players accepting the even split (a drop from their 57 percent share each of the last seven years) while also requesting that the owners allocate an additional $182 million toward the contentious ''Make Whole'' provision that addresses the value of player contracts already on the books. In its last offer, the league earmarked $211 million toward that provision, and now the players want a total $393 million, paid over four years. No doubt that will take some protracted jawboning, especially in light of the league's negative overall response today.

Other than an offer to amend the contentious long-term back-diving contracts, which have been a way for teams to ease (read: cheat) salary cap burdens, the new players' offer did not address many of the key language/rights amendments that owners demanded in the Oct. 16 offer.

However, conventional wisdom in recent weeks has been that owners would relent on many/most of these provisions if the PA came around to the 50/50 revenue split and peace could be made on the ''Make Whole'' issue. No telling yet if that conventional wisdom proved true or was simply wiseguy speculation.

The two sides met for a couple of hours in the morning, then broke for lunch, and were back at the bargaining table around 1:30 p.m.

The players' offer was for five years, terminating at the end of the 2016-17 season. The league likely would prefer it last longer, by at least a year or two.

Had the league offered at least, say, an encouraging opinion of the offer, it would have been be reasonable to think a new deal could be forged in a span of 3-7 days. If that had been the case, camps could have opened by the end of next week and a five-day training period could have seen regular-season games resume on or about Dec. 5. All of which would have provided enough time for a regular season of 50-60 games, a significant drop from the standard 82-game season.

Both sides, of course, will want to play as many games as possible, in order to recapture revenue and shore up a frustrated fan base and sagging sponsorship community. One way of regaining a portion of that money would be to lengthen the season to 84 games starting in 2013-'14. Over the remaining four years of the deal, that would restore eight of the games lost to this year's lockout and it would aid the league in generating that ''Make Whole'' revenue.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

HAVERHILL -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien, back behind a bench today at Haverhill Valley Forum, helped coach the Winthrop Squirt B hockey team to a 3-2 win over Watertown.

Julien was coaching to benefit the Boston Bruins Foundation and Massachusetts youth hockey. The Winthrop team won Julien's services via a raffle.

"It was a lot of fun to get behind the bench and deal with young hockey players again," Julien said. "They were having fun and enjoying the game. They were an excited group."

Winthrop coach Steve Indrisano led the Winthrop club. During the game, Julien offered tips to the coaches and players. Following each goal, Julien applauded his players. After each shift, Julien gave them taps on the helmets and fist bumps.

Like everyone else in the NHL, Julien is awaiting the end of the lockout. The NHL has scrubbed games through November.

"Unfortunately, I'm just a bystander like everyone else, waiting for the signal to go back to work," Julien said. "That’s all I know and that's all I can say. Like anybody else, I think the fans want to see hockey back. I'm no different. I think the people involved with those negotiations want the same thing as well."

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

Bruins winger Shawn Thornton today accused the NHL of 'strongarm' tactics, following the announcement this afternoon that the league has wiped out all games through Nov. 30.

Thornton, contacted by Toronto-based Josh Rimer (@joshrimerhockey), noted his frustration over a Collective Bargaining process that has yet to yield an agreement between the league's owners and players.

"We keep trying to meet," Thornton said, tweeted by @joshrimerhockey. "They keep declining. They are obviously not willing to negotiate."

"They would rather put the game in jeopardy and try to strongarm us and shake us down."

The league has been in lockout, the third in its history, since the CBA expired on the evening of Sept. 15. The NHL's latest offer, made public last Tuesday, was withdrawn just hours before the league today announced the cancellation of all games through Nov. 30. The league made that offer in hopes of finalizing an agreement by this week and beginning a full 82-game season by Nov. 2.

The Players' Association last Thursday, responding to the league's offer some 48 hours earlier, tried to engage the league in dialogue over what it portrayed as three counteroffers to the NHL proposal. The league dismissed those three proposals within minutes and earlier this week declined a PA invitation to resume talks.

With today's cancellations, the league now has erased 326 regular games, or 26.2 percent, from the 1,230-game regular-season schedule. If play were to resume at the start of December, the existing schedule would have the Bruins begin the season Dec. at TD Garden at 7 p.m., against the Sabres.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

On Sunday at 2 p.m. at Haverhill Valley Forum, Claude Julien will be back behind the bench. The Bruins coach will lead the Winthrop Squirt B youth hockey team against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

The team won Julien’s services via a raffle to benefit the Boston Bruins Foundation and Massachusetts hockey.

“It’s one of those situations where you can go and put a lot of smiles on faces,” Julien said. “I’m going to have fun with it. It’s for a great cause, with the money being raised for minor hockey and the Boston Bruins Foundation. Hey, maybe I can get the rust out of my game.”

During the lockout, Julien has been evaluating Providence, scouting Dougie Hamilton and Malcolm Subban, and reviewing video of earlier Bruins games. Julien and his staff are preparing for the lockout’s eventual end and a rapid start to a compressed training camp.

“The goal is to minimize everything as small as possible, not to overwhelm players when it’s time to get back to work,” Julien said. “We’re doing the best we can to prepare for a season that’s probably going to start quickly.”

* As expected, Julien declined to disclose who his starting goalie will be on Sunday.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

Bill Zito, agent for Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, said Rask did not seriously injure his groin Tuesday during a game in the Czech Republic.

"He's fine," Zito wrote in an email. "Just a little tweak and he didn't want to push it. Probably play Friday."

Rask, 25, joined the Czech League's club in Plzen early in the NHL lockout (now in its 39th day) and on Tuesday, according to reports out of the Czech Republic, pulled himself out of a game after the first period. One report noted that he had a groin injury.

Rask sustained a serious groin injury March 3 against the Islanders, ending his 2011-'12 season and sending the Bruins into a mad scramble to find relief in net for top 'tender Tim Thomas.

After prolonged rest and physical therapy, Rask over the summer reported that he was back at full strength and signed a one-year contract extension. Once the NHL gets back in business (still waiting), Rask projects as the club's No. 1 goaltender, backed by Anton Khudobin.

Thomas, with one year left on his contract, told the Bruins over the summer that he likely won't play the upcoming season and possibly will retire.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

Bruins coach Claude Julien will coach the Winthrop Squirt B hockey team on Sunday, the Bruins announced Tuesday.

The Winthrop team, which plays in the Valley Hockey League, won a raffle conducted by the Boston Bruins Foundation.

The game will be played Sunday at the Haverhill Valley Forum against an undetermined opponent.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

The NHL today made a somewhat surprising offer to its players in an attempt to end the lockout and kick-start the 2012-13 season on Nov. 2 -- which would represent approximately a three-week delay from its original Oct. 11 start.

According to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the league is willing to split the Hockey Related Revenue, 50-50, with the players. In its first offer to the players in July, the league sought to share a much smaller percentage, possibly as little as 43 percent, according to how the NHL Players Association deciphered the offer.

The 50-50 share in itself is encouraging, but it is a steep drop from the 57 percent the players have pocketed since the start of the salary cap system that was instituted out of the 2004-05 lockout. So while 50 percent is certainly better than 43 percent, it still represents a substantial drop in hard dollars for the players, considering the league's HRR last season was some $3.3 billion.

It is not likely that union leadership will easily accept the idea of falling back from $1.88 billion (at 57 percent) to $1.65 billion (at 50 percent). Net loss: $230 million.

''I'd like to believe, after we are done [reviewing] this [offer], that it's an excellent starting point and there's a deal to be made,'' said Donald Fehr, the NHLPA executive director.

The NHLPA will spend at least the next few hours, into Tuesday evening, assessing the offer. Bettman and his top lieutenant, Bill Daly, have told Fehr that they are ''on call'' for further deliberations or clarifications.

Left unsaid by both Fehr and Bettman in their media briefings today, is what other changes (if any) the league has made to other crucial elements of its offer. In its initial laundry list of changes, the league sought drastic amendments in the length of entry-level contracts and also wanted to abolish salary arbitration. Initial media reports, including many posted on Twitter, suggested the league has softened many of the proposed changes, but neither Bettman nor Fehr offered details.

Bettman did say the league made a long-term offer but would not specify the number of years. Fehr, though, said the offer was for ''at least'' six years.

According to Bettman, a Nov. 2 start to the season would allow for a full schedule, 82 games, as well as a full playoff format (four rounds, best-of-seven), all of it wrapping up by the end of June 2013.

Bettman also said that a compressed slate of 82 games would necessitate a slight increase in scheduling, meaning that players would play one extra game every five weeks, in comparison to their current rate. If the union were to object to such frequency over a season that lasts some six months, it conceivably would return with an offer to play only a 76-game regular season.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

Yes, there is hockey being played. Russia's KHL was on ESPN this week, the puck has dropped on the college season, and the Providence Bruins play their home opener Friday.

But none of it is the National Hockey League, which would have begun Thursday night with a marquee matchup if not for the lockout. The Bruins were scheduled to open at the Flyers.

Enter video game maker Electronic Arts, which has filled a fraction of the void by simulating the season using its NHL '13 game. The first week's simulation report was released Thursday, including the Bruins opener.

Tyler Seguin had a goal and two assists, and Dennis Seidenberg scored the game-winner as the Bruins defeated the Flyers, 4-3, in the simulation. Goalie Tuukka Rask had an assist as well, on the Bruins' first goal, scored by Mike Mottau.

Watch the Week 1 recap video EA provided above. More details on the first week simulation are on EA's NHL 13 blog, including the Bruins' second game, which would have been Saturday at New Jersey.

This screengrab provided by EA Sports shows Dennis Seidenberg's winning shot in a simulation of the Bruins' season opener, which would have been Thursday night.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com staff

One Massachusetts youth hockey team is going to have a decided advantage this season.

The Boston Bruins Foundation http://www.nhlalumniraffles.org/Raffles is holding a raffle in which the prize is having Bruins coach Claude Julien coach a youth hockey team's game. Tickets are $5 each (minimum purchase is two), and can be purchased until 1 p.m. Oct. 22, with the winner drawn that day at 5 p.m.

Julien will be behind the bench for a game Oct. 28 at the Haverhill Valley Forum. Julien guided the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2011.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

ESPN, the network where the NHL has been an afterthought, will kick off its KHL coverage on Tuesday. At 1 p.m. on ESPN2, Zdeno Chara's Lev Praha club will play Alex Ovechkin and Dynamo Moscow. The game will re-air on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.

Chara has appeared in one game for his KHL team. Ovechkin has scored one goal and has one assist in two games.

Steve Levy and ex-Lightning coach Barry Melrose will call the game.

Had the NHL not been locked out, Chara would be preparing for Thursday's season-opening game against Philadelphia.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff

With the NHL in mothballs, star Bruins Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron have decided to keep their games fresh and tuned in Europe. The two veterans on Tuesday struck separate deals, Chara with Prague in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League and Bergeron with Lugano in southern Switzerland.

Chara's deal is with HC Lev Praha and Bergeron's with HC Lugano. Like all NHL players who have defected to Europe with the NHL in lockout, both Chara and Bergeron can return to the Bruins immediately if/when NHL league owners and players finally craft a new CBA.

"He's flying out of Boston tonight," said Chara's longtime agent, Matt Keator, confirming that the defenseman has signed with HC Lev Praha, a club that operated last season in Slovakia. "There's every reason to expect that he'll be playing games this weekend."

According to Kent Hughes, agent for Bergeron, the Bruins center will drive to Boston Wednesday from his home in Quebec City, then fly to Europe Thursday or Friday. He likely will play his first game in the Swiss League late next week.

Chara and Bergeron are not the first high-profile Bruins to bolt for Europe.

Only days after signing his six-year contract extension, worth $5.75 million per season, young star winger Tyler Seguin agreed to play for Biel, Switzerland. A handful of other Bruins also have headed to teams overseas or said they will do so in the near future, all as a means to stay in shape during what is the third lockout in NHL history. Seguin and Bergeron now will face off against each other on opposing teams.

Chara, 35, grew up not far from Prague in Trencin, Slovakia, which Keator estimates is three hours from his new team's home. As a teen-ager in the months leading up to his draft year (1996), Chara moved from home to play in Prague, an experience he often credits with helping him catch the eyes of pro scouts.

"It's a comfortable fit for Z," said Keator. "He loves Prague. He knows some of the guys on the team, like [captain] Jiri Novotny and Marcel Hossa [brother of Marian Hossa].

"So, good city, good guys, and a way for him to keep his game at a high level so he can step right into it when the NHL gets back in business."

According to Hughes, Bergeron also had an offer to play in Finland, but was more intrigued by the Swiss offer, in part because of a more accommodating travel schedule.