from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

He turns 36 on Sunday but by the looks of him these days, it's as if Daniel Briere has turned back the clock.

Call it motivation. Call it being healthy. Call it being re-energized by a fresh start. But the formerPhiladelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres forward was Zen on Monday as he sat in his practice facility stall on the eve of the NHL season opener and discussed an exciting new chapter in his career.

The day is finally here. The native of Gatineau, Quebec, will slip on hockey's most famous uniform, one which he wore as a child pretending to be Mats Naslund or Mario Tremblay.

"It's the date that I've focused on ever since I signed, Oct. 1 -- my first game as a Hab," Briere told ESPN.com with a smile. "I think waking up tomorrow I'll probably have a little extra jump in my step."

He's hungry to prove he's still got lots of high-end hockey left in him. He put up only 16 points (6-10) in 34 games last season in Philadelphia, his NHL season delayed by a broken wrist he suffered in his last game in Berlin, Germany, just before the lockout ended.

"I was behind the eight ball after that," Briere said. "You're playing catch-up hockey. And then I got hit with a concussion late in the year. It was just one of those years that you chalk up as a bad year, an off year, and I've got lots to prove this year."

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