Hockey: Jágr returns to US to start shortened NHL season

Czech hockey star Jaromír Jágr departed the Czech Republic at 8:45 on Thursday morning to return to the United States and the NHL where he is set to play for the Dallas Stars. The 40-year-old forward played until now for his hometown team Kladno, helping turn the club into a force in the Czech league during the NHL lockout. The NHL, which normally begins in the autumn, will see a shortened season of 48 matches. The lockout lasted 113 days before a new collective bargaining agreement was reached between owners and the players’ association, the NHLPA. The exact date for the start of the season has not yet been announced.