Claude Giroux, Danny Briere sign contract with DEL's Eisbären Berlin

Two of the Philadelphia Flyers' alternate captains will remain together during the NHL lockout, as Claude Giroux and Danny Briere have both agreed to deals with Eisbären Berlin of the German DEL, as reported by Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.

Germany hasn't been a top destination for Europe-bound players -- most have chosen the KHL, or else Swedish or Swiss leagues -- but the Philly pair seem to have made the decision to play together. Berlin is by far the most successful team in the German league, including six championships since 2005.

Giroux and Briere, who play as center for the Flyers' top two lines, finished first and fourth in goal production for Philadelphia with a combined 44 goals. This is Giroux's first time with a European team, but Briere played with Bern in the Swiss league during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Giroux and Briere join several Flyers in Europe, including Ilya Bryzgalov, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Jakub Voracek, all of whom are in the KHL, and the team's fourth-line center, Matt Read, who is playing in Sweden.