By The Associated Press

BOSTON – The Bruins bought out the final year of contracts for forwards Shawn McEachern and Travis Green on Friday.

Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, McEachern and Green will receive two-thirds of what they would’ve earned next season and will become unrestricted free agents on Saturday.

“We are going in a different direction with our team next season,” Boston interim general manager Jeff Gorton said. “We felt that this was the best thing for both the team and the players at this time.”

McEachern was scheduled to earn $1.1 million next season, but will receive $726,000. Green will be paid $462,000 of the $700,000 he was due to make.

McEachern has 256 goals and 323 assists in 911 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Boston, Ottawa and Atlanta. Green, a veteran of 13 seasons, has 192 goals and 261 assists in 939 games with the New York Islanders, Anaheim, Phoenix, Toronto and Boston.

St. Louis Blues sold to Checketts-led group

ST. LOUIS – The sale of the St. Louis Blues to a group led by Dave Checketts was completed Friday, and the new owners immediately named top NHL broadcaster John Davidson as team president.

Checketts, the former head of the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, reached a deal to buy the team on March 24 and had the sale approved by the NHL board of governors last week.

It transfers ownership of the Blues – the league’s worst team this season – and the Savvis Center from Bill and Nancy Laurie to Checketts and his Sports Capital Partners.

Guerin’s contract bought out by Stars

DALLAS – The Dallas Stars bought out the final year of Bill Guerin’s contract Friday, making their highest-paid player an unrestricted free agent.

Guerin, who was scheduled to make $6.7 million next season, wasn’t claimed off waivers by another team. The Stars will pay him $4.4 million over the next two years.

“While this was a difficult decision to make, I feel that it was the best decision for both the Dallas Stars and Bill Guerin,” general manager Doug Armstrong said. “We appreciate all Bill has done for the Stars organization and we wish him well in the future.”

Blue Jackets trade goalie Denis to Lightning

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning addressed their goaltending concerns Friday by obtaining goalie Marc Denis from the Columbus Blue Jackets for left wing Fredrik Modin and goalie Fredrik Norrena.

John Grahame and Sean Burke, who Tampa Bay turned to after 2004 Stanley Cup champion goalie Nikolai Khabibulin signed with Chicago, struggled throughout the season and aren’t expected to return. The Lightning finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in five games by Ottawa in the opening playoff round.

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