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WILMINGTON, Mass. -- The goal of rookie development camp is so future members of the Boston Bruins know what is expected of them both on and off the ice.

The seventh annual development camp began Wednesday morning with 24 of the organization’s prospects at Ristuccia Arena. It’s a five-day crash course of everything Bruin. After an hour-long on-ice session Wednesday morning, the players participated in a seminar about the proper and professional use of social media.

It’s the third time the Bruins have held such a seminar.

“They will get an ear full on it,” said Bruins assistant general manager Don Sweeney. “ It’s here to stay. They have to understand it and acknowledge it and be careful about it.”

When former Bruins forward and No. 2 overall draft pick Tyler Seguin participated in his first rookie development camp in the summer of 2010, the team did not instruct players on the dos and don’t of being on Twitter. Seguin learned first-hand how the improper use of social media can shed you in a negative light.

In April, Seguin tweeted an anti-gay comment and later apologized for it. And after he was traded to the Dallas Stars as part of a blockbuster seven-player deal, another anti-gay comment showed up on his twitter account that he claims was hacked.

His account no longer exists.

The Bruins hope the current crop of prospects will tweet responsibly.

“We have to understand it better and we have to hopefully get them to understand and appreciate the impact some of their statements and how quickly those statements get from Point A to Point B,” Sweeney said.

“We’ll continue to address it and it’s not the first time. Hopefully we’ll continue to get better at it and get the message across because at times it doesn’t always sink in. There’s growth in those areas as well and we’ll continue to make sure and we’ll point out some of the slip-ups that other guys have had over the course of time and learn from them. Hopefully they all do, so they don’t make the same mistakes.”

Most of the focus on the Fourth of July trade of Tyler Seguin to Dallas has been on the 21-year-old forward and why the Bruins decided he could not reach his potential in Boston. But on Monday, the attention turned to the best player the Bruins got back in that deal, 27-year-old forward Loui Eriksson.

Eriksson had a conference call with the Boston media from his native Sweden on Monday and sounded excited to become part of the Bruins' revamped top-six forward group that will also include the newly signed Jarome Iginla.

"I'm really looking forward to playing in Boston," Eriksson said. "It's a really good team. You know, the last couple years they've been a really good team, so I'm real excited to go there and play. Everything happened really fast with the trade, but I'm really excited and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be awesome to come there and play. I'm going to try to play my best and try to help them win the Cup."

Eriksson hasn’t gotten the chance to play in the playoffs in his last five seasons with Dallas. While his last taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs was a memorable experience (helping the Stars advance to the 2008 Western Conference finals with four goals and eight points in 18 playoff games), Eriksson is ready to be playing deep into the playoffs on a regular basis and ready to do so in a hockey-crazed city like Boston.

"It's a good hockey town. I've heard good things about the whole city," Eriksson said. "I'll be ready to play there, and it will be awesome. It will definitely be different than in Dallas [as a hockey market]. That's for sure. The Bruins have been one of the best teams in the league for the last few years. I'm just looking forward to doing what I can to help them get into the playoffs, and try to win a Cup."

With the Bruins signing Iginla the day after they acquired Eriksson, it is not known whether Eriksson -- who is a three-time 20-goal scorer with a career-high 36 lamplighters in 2008-09 -- will play with David Krejci and Milan Lucic on the first line or Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on the second line. But he has been told already he will be playing right wing.

"I've played both sides through my whole time played in Dallas,” he said. “And I know both sides. But I like to play on the right side and I know I've been talking to [general manager] Peter [Chiarelli] about it and he said he wants me to play on the right side. So I think that will be a good fit for me. I know they have real good players, especially Bergeron and they have Krejci as centermen, and they have a lot of good players to play with. So I don't think it will be any problem to play with those guys because they're going to make me better and I'm going to try to make them better, too. So it will be real nice to come and play with them."

Given the fact Krejci is used to having physical wingers like Lucic and the recently departed Nathan Horton on both sides and that Eriksson is known for his solid two-way game, there's a good chance he will be playing where Seguin improved his two-way game at times, alongside Bergeron and Marchand. If that's the case, Eriksson would be thrilled to ride shotgun next to a player he holds tremendous respect for in Bergeron.

“He’s a really good player in the league and he’s been really good for many years here,” Eriksson said of Bergeron. “I think it will be a good fit for me to play with him. I know he’s a smart player and he can play a really good defensive game, all style. He can also score goals and do a lot of things out there so I think that will be a really good fit for me. I’m just going to try to make him better, too, when I play with him.”

Regardless of whom he plays with, Eriksson is very confident he can fit in with the Bruins' system and their physical brand of hockey.

“It’s how I’ve been playing through my years in Dallas,” said Eriksson, who had 12 goals and 29 points last season. “I’m not trying to take penalties that much and I haven’t so I know the Bruins like to play physical and they play really good that way so I’m going to try to do that, too. I’m going to try and do everything I can to help the team. I've watched some games in the playoffs, and of course I watched many games when they played because I know they're a good team. So I know they play a tough sort of style and a good defensive style, so I think that will fit me real well. I like to play that way and I'm just happy to come to a team like Boston. I know it's a really good team to play on."

BOSTON -- After discussing at length the new addition of forward Jarome Iginla to the Boston Bruins, general manager Peter Chiarelli said the team is also "very close" on finalizing contract extensions for forward Patrice Bergeron and goaltender Tuukka Rask.

Bergeron's extension will likely keep the 27-year-old assistant captain in Boston for the remainder of his career. It will likely be upward of an eight-year extension worth more than $50 million. Bergeron recently spoke about the opportunity to play his entire career with the Bruins organization.

"It would mean a lot," he said. "That's the goal. Since the beginning, it's been a team that's believed in me when I was 18 and coming up. Now, like I've said before, it's my home and I feel like it is. I love the city. I love the people and definitely love the organization. It would mean a lot to me and hopefully we can work something out."

Rask is seeking a seven- or eight-year deal close to $60 million.

Scott Burnside breaks down the Oilers' signing of defenseman Andrew Ference.

"I talked to Andrew Ference earlier today after he'd signed the deal in Edmonton, and he'd seen the writing on the wall," Burnside says. "The Bruins have three or four terrific young defensemen coming up. We saw Torey Krug, we know Dougie Hamilton, [Matt] Bartkowski. Those are guys that the Bruins are going to want to ease into their lineup next season.

"And Andrew Ference was a guy that the Bruins felt they could get along without. He was an important part of that Bruin team the last four or five years, part of that Cup-winning team."

Scott Burnside breaks down the Blue Jackets' signing of Nathan Horton.

"Any fan of the Bruins has seen him really light it up come playoff time," Burnside says of Horton. "A key contributor in their Cup-winning year in 2011, was very good early on in this past playoff year. He's also very streaky, we've seen him go dry; had a pretty up and down regular season."

BOSTON -- While the Boston Bruins finalized a one-year, incentive-laden deal for veteran forward Jarome Iginla, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was also busy in other areas, too.

Since former Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston signed goaltender Chad Johnson to a one-year, one-way contract. Providence Bruins forward and enforcer Bobby Robins inked a two-year, two-way contract, while forward Nick Johnson signed a one-year, two-way deal and defenseman Mike Moore agreed to a two-way, one-year contract.

Chad Johnson's salary is worth an annual cap figure of $600,000. Robins' salary is worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level. Nick Johnson's contract is worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $200,000 at the AHL level. Moore's deal is $550,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level.

BOSTON -- Now that former Boston Bruins goaltender Anton Khudobin has signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, Providence Bruins netminder Niklas Svedberg could be next in line to be the backup in Boston behind Tuukka Rask for the 2013-2014 season.

Svedberg could face competition for Boston's backup goalie spot from Chad Johnson, whom the Bruins signed Friday to a one-year, one-way contract worth $600,000.

Svedberg, 23, was outstanding for the P-Bruins last season and recorded a 37-8-2 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage in 48 games during the regular season. During the Calder Cup playoffs, he posted a 6-6 record with a 3.29 GAA and a .889 save percentage.

It was Svedberg's first season playing in North America. Prior to signing with the Bruins and being assigned to Providence, he played four seasons in the Swedish Elite League.

"It was a good season to learn a lot of new things, and to play over here and to adjust to the game over here. It's been a good year, a long season and hopefully it'll help me next year," Svedberg said.

After the P-Bruins' season was over, the Bruins recalled Svedberg from Providence and he served as Boston's third goaltender during the playoffs.

"I think it was good for next year, just to see how everything works up here and get to know the guys and everything," he said. "It'll be good for next year."

During the team's exit meetings, the Bruins told Svedberg to work on his strength training in preparation for training camp.

"Get a little bit stronger and work on my physical part, just stuff like that," Svedberg said. "It'll be a short summer but I'll try to focus on my strength. I'll try to have a good summer, get ready for camp and take it from there."

BOSTON -- If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

The Boston Bruins signed free-agent forward Jarome Iginla, 36, to a one-year deal worth $6 million.

The Bruins announced that Iginla's base salary is $1.8 million, and another $4.2 million in incentives adds up to a $6 million salary-cap figure. A source had told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun that the incentives include a games-played bonus of $3.7 million and a goal-scoring/team playoff performance bonus of $500,000.

Bruins assistant captain Patrice Bergeron was a teammate of Iginla's on Team Canada when they won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

"It's a great signing for us. He is a terrific player and leader. His experience will definitely help us. Looking forward to being his teammate," Bergeron told ESPNBoston.com.

A little more than three months ago, the Bruins thought they had won the Iginla sweepstakes before the trade deadline to acquire the veteran forward from the Calgary Flames. In the 11th hour, however, Iginla decided he wanted to play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, thinking he'd have a better chance to win the Stanley Cup with Sidney Crosby & Co.

The Bruins and the Penguins eventually faced off in the Eastern Conference finals and Boston finished with a four-game sweep to earn its second trip the Stanley Cup finals in a three-year span.

After the Bruins completed their sweep on June 7, Boston's Milan Lucic was asked about how it felt to prove to Iginla that he chose the wrong team.

"First off, he's a great player. He's a legend, he's a future Hall of Famer and I think looking back at that day, he earned the right to make the decision that he made," Lucic said. "You can never blame a guy for going with his heart and making that type of decision. I'm not going to insult him in any way. He's a guy that I always looked up to as a teenager and seeing the way that he played. As a Canadian, seeing what he did in the Olympics and all that type of stuff, he's definitely an idol of mine. But like I said, he earned that right to make the decision that he made. I'm sure if he could go back he would make a different decision, but in saying that, he's still a great player. He's got a few more years ahead of him, and you wish him nothing but the best."

Lucic added that Iginla's decision motivated the Bruins.

"We kind of took it that way, in that sense that when a guy chooses another team over your team, it kind of does light a little bit of a fire underneath you. Fortunately, we were able to turn it into a positive more than a negative," Lucic said.

Now, they're teammates and possibly linemates when the puck drops on the 2013-14 season.

CLICK HERE to read the full story.

A couple of key players from the Bruins' team that reached the Stanley Cup finals in two of the past three seasons signed elsewhere on Friday:

* The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Andrew Ference to a four-year deal on Friday. Ference's deal is worth $3.25 million a year, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

The 34-year-old Edmonton native was a key part of the Bruins' run to the Stanley Cup final, although there was no room for him to return to Boston because of salary-cap issues and plenty of young defensemen coming up through the ranks.

In 760 career NHL games, Ference has 37 goals and 156 assists. He was a part of the Bruins' Stanley Cup championship team in 2011.

* The Columbus Blue Jackets made a major move Friday to shore up their lagging offense by signing free-agent right wing Nathan Horton.

The 28-year-old forward, who visited Columbus earlier this week, signed a seven-year deal. A source told ESPN The Magazine's Craig Custance that Horton's deal has a total value of $37.1 million, with $30 million paid in the first five years of the deal.

Horton, who still needs offseason shoulder surgery which will delay the start of his season, had already informed the Bruins he was not interested in re-signing in Boston.

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun put an end to the speculation that forward Daniel Alfredsson would end up with the Bruins:

No surprise, Bruins have been informed their ``out'' on Alfredsson. B's lose out to Detroit.

— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 5, 2013

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has informed Ottawa that he is leaving the organization to pursue his free-agent opportunities, a source confirmed.

Detroit and Boston are the front-runners to land Alfredsson, and sources suggest that the Red Wings have the best shot.

Alfredsson, 40, has been with Ottawa since 1995-96. He has 426 career goals in 1,178 games played.

I want to thank the fans of Boston for all your support you have been great. The city of Boston will forever be a part of me. #BostonStrong

— Tyler Seguin (@tylerseguin92) July 5, 2013

BOSTON -- Now that Tyler Seguin is no longer a member of the Boston Bruins, general manager Peter Chiarelli isn't about to call out the character of the 21-year-old forward just because he was traded to the Dallas Stars as the centerpiece of a seven-player deal on Independence Day.

Less than a week ago, Chiarelli told reporters after the NHL draft that Seguin needed to be a better pro. After the trade was complete, Chiarelli reiterated his comments but added nothing but praise for the former No. 2 overall pick in 2010.

"I think what's important to remember about Tyler is that he came here with much pomp and circumstance and he played very well for a young player," Chiarelli said. "This year wasn't his best year, but it was a trying year and a weird year to assess players. Tyler's a real good kid. I know I see the Twitter-verse, whatever it's called, and a lot of these reports about his extracurricular stuff, and I've made comments that due to his professionalism and acting more like a professional, but what has to be remembered in all this is that he's 21 years old. He's a good kid, and he's a terrific player. He's probably better suited for center. He was very good for us as a winger."

Chiarelli made it a point to say this trade had nothing to do with any off-ice issues the Bruins were concerned about, but he did seem to question Seguin's preparedness.

"I don't want to really play that up too much. He's a 21-year-old that played as an 18-year-old, and I think he was just a 21-year-old kid. He was maturing and growing up, and he liked to have fun like the rest of them. I don't really think it was such a big deal. But when I said earlier about focus, just about little things, about preparing to play, it was nothing about extracurricular activities."

Chiarelli was asked whether this was strictly an on-ice decision.

"There are no strict on-ice decisions on any decision you make with a hockey player. So no, it's not a strict on-ice decision," he said.

Asked whether the Bruins were fed up with Seguin's so-called off-ice issues, Chiarelli again downplayed it.

"I don't think so. I mean, we're talking about a good player. Our job -- my job as a manager, our coach's job, we have to get the best out of our players. ... No player is perfect, either as a player or an individual. His -- all his stuff mushrooms into a proliferation of items on social media and I get overwhelmed by the number of stuff that comes out. Maybe some of it is true, but I know not all of it is true.

"And this kid -- Tyler is a 21-year-old, he is a good kid, he's got a good heart and he is going to continue to grow up."

The Bruins had been shopping Seguin before the draft, so when the trade was announced Thursday afternoon, it did not come as a shock.

"I definitely heard the rumors," Seguin said during a conference call. "When the trade was announced, I don't know if I was surprised. As far as the professional comments, I talked with Peter about it right after the trade happened. I come to the rink every day and act professional and work my hardest. My first three years so far have been a big learning curve, and I look forward to getting better every day, and I'm more motivated coming to a great city like Dallas.

"I'm very excited. I'm looking forward to the opportunity. I'm definitely excited to get back into my natural position at center, and I'm looking forward to the experience."

Chiarelli was also asked whether the condition of Seguin's hip factored into why the Bruins wanted to trade him.

"No. That's really a condition that's troubling a lot of players. He's managed it, and the doctors talked. There's no issue," Chiarelli said.

After the Bruins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, Seguin acknowledged that a physical ailment was bothering him during the playoffs and said he would have it checked out by medical staff. That ailment was believed to be his hip.

As far as what the Bruins are getting in return for Seguin and Rich Peverley, Chiarelli believes this deal works well for both teams. Dallas GM Jim Nill sees Seguin as a pure center and will use him as such with the Stars. Chiarelli believes Seguin could thrive in that role with the Stars.

"Tyler was quiet for most of the playoffs. He's a tremendous package of skill and speed, so yes it will go north," Chiarelli said. "His game is more conducive to that. The ice on both sides of them, when he's in the middle, he will have to play defensively there as he did here. Lindy [Ruff] likes to take care of his own end, so that won't change, as far as that responsibility. In fact it'll be more, as a center man you have more defensive responsibility down low. Jimmy likes Tyler. Loves Tyler as a player. He's followed him a long time being in Detroit when Tyler was in Plymouth, so it was a good fit for them."

Seguin's offensive production drastically declined during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He had only one goal in 22 games in the postseason. When asked how he felt about playing in Dallas and what he learned during his time in Boston, Seguin said: "It's a refreshing feeling I get to go and start from scratch with a new organization, a new home. Whether it's on or off the ice I definitely want to succeed in the expectations that are given towards me."

Joining Seguin in Dallas will be Peverley, who was also part of the deal.

"I think Tyler was under the microscope here in Boston and I've heard a lot of things in the past 24 hours about Tyler that I don't think is true and it's unfortunate that it's coming to people talking like that," Peverley said. "He works very hard. He's gotten a lot more mature in the years I've known him. He commits himself to the game and getting better. I don't see any reason why he can't continue to improve all the time. He works very hard and he's a committed individual and it's going to be no different going forward. For Boston to let him go at a young age, I'm sure he's going to be really motivated to do well. I'm excited for him because it's new start, a fresh start and I'm sure he's excited."

As far as what the Bruins received in return, Chiarelli likes the addition of winger Loui Eriksson and prospects Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser.

"Well, he's a good two-way player," Chiarelli said of Eriksson. "He knows where to find the spots to score. Has a good shot, good release from either side, can play on the PP. ... He can play the right side, and he has left-shot skill. He spreads out your power play. He's a fast and a good two-way player. There's a lot of his game that fits into how we play."

BOSTON -- Even as Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was putting the finishing touches on a seven-player trade with the Dallas Stars, he found time to reach out to the agent of free agent forward Daniel Alfredsson on Thursday.

With the exit of Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin, Chiarelli has interest in adding Alfredsson to the mix in Boston.

"I've spoken to his agent again today and will continue to have some dialogue," Chiarelli said.

Chiarelli and Alfredsson have a relationship, dating back to when Chiarelli was an assistant GM with the Ottawa Senators.

"Well, he's a veteran, he's a terrific leader, he's a terrific player and he does anything to win," Chiarelli said. "He's strong on the puck, he's got a terrific shot, he has a lot of good things about him."

Alfredsson has spent his entire 17-season NHL career with Ottawa.

BOSTON -- Along with Tyler Seguin, former Boston Bruins forward Rich Peverley was also traded to the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli acquired Peverley from the Atlanta Thrashers at the trade deadline in 2011, and Peverley ended up being an integral part of Boston's Stanley Cup team that season.

This season, his third with the Bruins, Peverley struggled offensively. He had six goals and 12 assists during the regular season and registered a team-low minus-nine. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he had only two goals and was a minus-eight.

"When you're judging these players, on both sides, this year was a tough year to judge," Chiarelli said. "You really have to be careful, and Rich is no different. I know he was back and forth, three times when he was playing overseas prior to the start of the season. He was playing in Finland, and he never really got going for a number of reasons. But the year before, the two years before, he was a terrific piece to our depth puzzle when we won. He could move up and down the lineup. He could move across the lineup, any position. Terrific on faceoffs. He moved up when Nathan [Horton] got hurt two years ago. So he's a really useful, really good player. I don't judge him; good hockey people don't judge him by maybe a down year this year. They know what they're getting there."

Peverley said he's excited about his new opportunity.

"I'm incredibly motivated to bounce back and have a great year," Peverley said. "It's a new beginning and I'm looking forward to it."

He's projected to be a second-line center for the Stars, a role he's looking forward to returning to.

"I'm pretty excited about having that opportunity. It's an opportunity I've had in the past when I was in Atlanta and I'm looking forward to more responsibility on the ice and whichever way Lindy wants to use me I'm open to, center or wing, I'm really looking forward to it."