Former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes said he got goosebumps thinking about joining a team that already includes centers like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.These guys get it, the free agent forward said Friday after signing with the Boston Bruins in the first 30 minutes of NHL free agency.

Former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes said he got goosebumps thinking about joining a team that already includes centers like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.These guys get it, the free agent forward said Friday after signing with the Boston Bruins in the first 30 minutes of NHL free agency. They know what its going to take to win. Thats what sold me on it. ... If you have prominent players that are putting team first, the rest of the guys really have no choice.A two-time U.S. Olympian, Backes agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal with the Bruins and said he hoped to help the Original Six club return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Listing off some of the players already on the roster, Backes said it was more of a retooling than a rebuilding.Some guys would have looked at it like, `Youve already got Bergeron and Krejci, where will I play? David said, `Boy, I get to play with Bergeron and Krejci, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. These guys are going to be the leading core to get us where we want to go. The younger guys are going to have to get on board.Backes, 32, is the first major addition this offseason for a team that won the 2011 Stanley Cup and returned to the finals two years later. The team re-signed defenseman Torey Krug and bought out the contract of defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on Thursday. Free agents Loui Eriksson and Lee Stempniak agreed to deals with the Canucks and Carolina, respectively.I always thought Vancouver was a great city to play in and a great organization, Eriksson said.Also signing with Boston on the first day of free agency were defensemen Tommy Cross and John-Michael Liles, goalie Anton Khudobin, and forwards Riley Nash, Tyler Randell and Tim Schaller.Theyre trying to get pieces back that will get them over the hump, Backes said. They barely missed the playoffs last year, and if they had (made it) I dont think anyone would have wanted to play them.Backes had 21 goals and 24 assists last season for the Blues. In a 10-year NHL career -- all with St. Louis -- he has 206 goals and 254 assists in 727 regular-season games.Backes, whos from Minneapolis, said it was difficult for his family to leave St. Louis, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft.It was tough in that its all Ive known, he said in a conference call with reporters. It happens a lot in this business, it hasnt happened to us. But change is good.Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said talks with his captain broke down over the length of the deal.I had no problem bringing David Backes back, and I wish we could have, he said. I wasnt comfortable with the term. It was problematic for me, personally, to (sign) out that far with players. Theres analytical data (that) shows where players play at their peak, and we wanted to try and stay within a window. We were ready to stretch that window but only to a certain level.But Backes said hes got a lot left.Im 32, not 52, he said. I think theres plenty of legs and energy left in me. I expect to still be at the top of my game.---AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story. Red Wings Jerseys 2021 . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Detroit Red Wings Gear . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. 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Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid.Monday Night Raw rolls into Glasgow for the first time this evening - so will fans in Scotland witness a mini-Shield reunion? Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins - who, along with Smackdown star Dean Ambrose, comprised The Shield between 2012 and 2014 - became surprising allies on last weeks Raw. Live WWE: Late Night - Raw November 8, 2016, 1:00am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass With Reigns on the verge of a beat down from Universal Champion Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho aka Jeri-KO, Rollins rushed to the ring to send The Big Dogs tormentors scarpering. Rollins intervention probably had more to do with him hating Owens and Jericho than liking Reigns, but will the two join forces again and tackle the Canadians in Britain? Seth Rollins tees up Jericho for a Pedigree on last weeks Raw All will be revealed at 1am on Monday night on Sky Sports 5 - so make sure you stay up, record the show or catch the repeat showing at 10pm on Wednesday on Sky Sports 3.Reigns, Owens, Jericho and the monstrous Braun Strowman have taken four of the five spots on Raws team to face Smackdown at Survivor Series - but who will be entrant No 5? With one place up for grabs on Raws Survivor Series team, we look at the candidates that could get the nod.dddddddddddd Could we see a surprise return? Mick Foley could announce that in Scotland, as well as who else will represent the red brand in Survivor Series womens and 10-on-10 tag-team elimination encounters.Charlotte, Bayley and Nia Jax are locked into Raws female squad, while New Days Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods will captain their shows tag troop.One Raw Superstar also needs to step up and face Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series after The Show-Off issued an open challenge on Smackdown. Which Raw star will face Dolph Ziggler at Survivor Series? With powerhouses like Rusev and Big Show on the Raw roster, not to mention lightning-quick grapplers such as Sami Zayn and the Newcastle-born Neville, Ziggler will face a stiff examination whoever his opponent turns out to be.But will that man make himself known at The SSE Hydro?Find out by watching Monday Night Raw on Sky Sports 5. 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