Cassels to Columbus: Free agent center Andrew Cassels signed a three-year contract Thursday with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a move that he claims had more to do with family than hockey. ''The first thing when I went into this was I wanted to get back East because my family is going to relocate in the Toronto area,'' said Cassels, who spent the last three seasons in Vancouver. ''I wanted for my kids to be able to get to me or for myself to be able to get back and see them, so that was really the biggest factor in this decision.''

Cassels, 33, had 11 goals and 39 assists in 53 games last year. He is slated to earn a base salary of $2.6 million this season. The second and third years of the deal are at Cassels' option.

The Blue Jackets are hoping the addition of Cassels, a slick set-up man with plenty of power-play experience, will bolster an offense that scored the fewest goals in the NHL last year.

The move also reunites Cassels with former Hartford Whalers linemate and current Columbus left wing Geoff Sanderson. They played together in Hartford from 1991-97, and both players enjoyed their best offensive seasons playing on the same line in 1992-93. Cassels, a 12-year veteran who has 174 goals and 452 assists in 847 games with Montreal, Hartford, Calgary and Vancouver, sought out Sanderson before making a final decision.

Theo lands in Chicago: The Chicago Blackhawks signed veteran winger Theo Fleury to a two-year, $8-million contract Thursday, beating out the Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes for the unrestricted free agent's services. Fleury, who made $6.5 million last season, became a free agent when the New York Rangers declined to exercise his $7 million option.

Ulf Dahlen returns to the Stars: The Dallas Stars announced Tuesday they have signed forward Ulf Dahlen to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dahlen, 35, appeared in 69 games with the Washington Capitals last season and had 23 goals and 29 assists for 52 points. Posting his first 20-goal season since 1993-94, Dahlen tied for second on the Capitals in game-winning goals (4), tied for third in power play goals (7), fourth in goals, fourth in assists and fourth in points.

The Ostersund, Sweden, native makes his return to the Stars after spending parts of five seasons with the club from 1989-94. In 306 games with Minnesota/Dallas, Dahlen tallied 113 goals and 129 assists for 242 points.

Dahlen has scored 20 or more goals eight times in his career, and his best offensive season with the Minnesota North Stars was in 1992-93 when he had 35 goals and 39 assists for 74 points. He also netted a career-high 36 goals in 1991-92 with Minnesota. A first round selection by the New York Rangers (seventh overall) in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Dahlen has appeared in 903 career NHL games, recording 284 goals and 334 assists for 618 points. In 74 career NHL playoff games, he has posted 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points.

The cyclops returns, this time with Boston: Bryan Berard's comeback story will continue after the defenceman signed a one-year contract plus an option year with Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

The new deal will help Berard, who played with the New York Rangers last season, continue to pay off a $6.5-million US insurance settlement he received after suffering a career-threatening eye injury in March 2000 while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Berard, 25, had two goals and 21 assists while playing all 82 games last year but the Rangers decided not to pick up his option for next season which was worth $3 million US. He'll reportedly earn around $850,000 US plus incentives with the Bruins after making $2 million US with the Rangers last season.

Alexander Daigle may return to NHL... with the Penguins?: The big flop will attend a tryout with Pittsburgh, eschewing other offers. This presumes that he is ready to play for little money (since Pgh has none), if he can even win a job...

Nobody is quite sure what is motivating Daigle to come back. He told Radio-Canada during an interview aired in January that he knew from the time he was 16 that he didn't want to play hockey and only did it "for the money."

In response to the news, Jim Iovino gapes at Craig Patrick, and asks, "This is it?"

This day in history...: 1981 - The Winnipeg Jets select Dale Hawerchuk first overall in the NHL entry draft.