January 9, 2013

Ottawa Senator MIlan Michalek during a informal practice at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ont. Wednesday Jan 9, 2013. The Senators gathered at Scotiabank Place for the first time to skate as a team since the NHL lockout started. (TONY CALDWELL/QMI Agency)

OTTAWA - Milan Michalek didn't waste any time getting back to North America to open the NHL season.

The Senators winger was on a bus with Ceske Budejovice in the Czech league with Columbus Blue Jackets centre Vinny Prospal Sunday when word came down the lockout was over and training camps would get start this weekend.

Instead of continuing the trip, Michalek and Prospal got the bus to pull over at a gas station, thanked their teammates and called Michalek's dad to pick them up while they had a snack in the restaurant to wait for him to arrive.