Andrew Ference got a chance to talk with new Oilers bench boss Dallas Eakins before he signed a four-year/$13 million contract. "That two-day period before signing was great because I did get to talk to Dallas a few times," Ference said. "That made it very comforting to sign because we see eye-to-eye on a lot of things and have a similar outlook on the way the game should be played and the way the game should be approached by the players." Ference thinks Eakins will be demanding of his players, which will help get the Oilers over the hump.

Andrew Ference is hoping what he learned going from missing the playoffs to a Stanley Cup in a matter of years when he was with the Boston Bruins will help his new team. "You realize how easy it is to build on potential and have the tide turn fairly quickly," Ference said. "You look at this team and how close it is to kind of getting over that hump, it's exciting. It's really neat to be a part of that, and to see potential turn into reality is a pretty special thing to be a part of." The Edmonton Oilers certainly have ton of potential and to add a solid defenseman like Ference certainly helps.

Newly-signed Oilers blueliner Andrew Ference is returning to his hometown of Edmonton. Ference grew up in the Edmonton area as a fan of the Oilers and was even neighbors with former Oiler forward Petr Klima. "I used to go to games with my dad, and even saw the Cup won there," said Ference. "I want to be a part of that. Edmonton showed the most interest right off the hop." The former Bruin will add an element of toughness to a team that was sorely lacking in that area last season.

John Shannon of Sportsnet.ca is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers have signed Andrew Ference.

Andrew Ference acknowledged that dealing with the realization he wouldn't be back with the Bruins was a bit of a distraction. He had a feeling he wouldn't be coming back when he wasn't approached about an extension as he finished out the final year of his deal. General manager Peter Chiarelli made it official today. "Nobody is going to do their job as effectively when there is uncertainty," said the 34-year-old Ference. "At different times of the year it affected me differently. I think at a certain time of the year I just resigned myself to the fact [I wasn't coming back] and that was a good thing to do. The people that make up this city are unbelievable. The best friends that we have in our lives are all from here. The lifestyle and the area that you live in has enormous impact on your quality of life and your performance on the ice. "But it's not a fun thing.

Boston GM Peter Chiarelli said the team will not bring back Andrew Ference. The hard-nosed defenseman will be permitted to test unrestricted free agency next week. Chiarelli said it was a difficult decision, but it was expected since the Bruins need to re-sign Tuukka Rask and they hope to bring back Nathan Horton as well. Boston also has young blueliners Matt Bartkowski, Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton waiting to get more ice time.

Andrew Ference may be permitted to depart Boston as an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Bruins have several young blueliners who appear to be ready to take his place on the roster going into next year and they will come at a cheaper price tag. The rugged veteran would also probably attract his fair share of interest on the open market.

Despite playing with a protective boot on his foot, Andrew Ference seemed quite comfortable in his return to action in Game 1 for the Boston Bruins against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 34-year-old collected an assist and logged 17:27 minutes of ice time yesterday. He's an underrated part of the B's blueline, so he could be quite helpful against a deep Penguins attack.

Andrew Ference had an assist in his return from a foot injury. Ference hadn't played since May 10 due to the ailment. He logged 15:49 minutes and finished the game with a plus-one rating.

Andrew Ference (foot) wasn't on any of the Bruins' top-three defensive pairings during their Saturday morning skate. Ference said that he wants to play, but Bruins coach Claude Julien wouldn't confirm that Ference has been medically cleared. It's worth noting that Ference has been practicing for the better part of a week now and there's also a chance that he's healthy enough to play, but the Bruins opted to use Matt Bartkowski over him anyways. We probably won't know more until Boston's pregame warm-ups.