Reunions of some of the greatest combinations in Russian hockey are in store as NHL stars flock home from lockout-paralyzed North America this week, aiming to delight their native fans once again, but also expressing concerns about their security.


The "Dream Team" of Russian players kicks off a five-game charity tournament Friday night against Spartak at Sokolniki arena. Nineteen players from the NHL are expected, including 1994 league MVP Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks marquee scorer Pavel Bure, who flew in from Germany on Tuesday, and Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres, who led the league in scoring in 1992.


The three former CSKA teammates, skills honed after several years in North America, could be one of the most electrifying lines ever to grace a hockey rink.


At their request, each of the three stars will be assigned a personal bodyguard during the 10-day tour, Vsevolod Kukushkin, representing the Russian Hockey Federation, said in an interview Tuesday.


"Fedorov was concerned about the Russian mafia and gangsters," said San Jose Sharks forward Igor Larionov, an organizer of the tournament, Reuters reported Monday after a news conference in San Jose, California. Some Russian players have been the target of mafia threats while playing in North America.


Larionov will team with Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makharov, the legendary "KLM" front line of former Soviet national teams, to form another top scoring trio for the exhibition games.


The tournament begins Friday against Spartak at Sokolniki arena, and concludes in Moscow on Nov. 14 against the CSKA Russian Penguins. In between, the NHL stars will travel to Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod and Magnitogorsk where they will play local teams.


The idea for the tournament was hatched by another ex-Soviet great, Vyachislav Fetisov, after NHL owners postponed the start of the season Oct. 1 in a still-stalemated dispute with the players union over a new collective bargaining agreement. Fetisov, who played last year with the New Jersey Devils and is hoping to catch on with another team after being let go, said in an interview Monday that the chance to reunite on ice was a silver lining to the NHL lockout.


"Maybe it is our last chance to play together in front of our fans," said Fetisov, whose defensive partner Alexei Kasatamov arrived in Moscow Tuesday. "For me it was kind of the idea of payback for the Russian fans who supported us for many years."


In San Jose on Monday, Larionov said the Russian players would be welcomed back by Yeltsin in a ceremony at the Kremlin, Reuters reported. "I think we're going to see Yeltsin at the game Friday night," Larionov added.


A Kremlin spokesman Tuesday said he did "not have any information" about any hockey events on the president's schedule.


Kukushkin estimated the cost of the tournament at $580,000, although he said it could go higher. Players' insurance, transportation and accommodation will be covered by money put up by the five Russian teams the NHL stars will play, Kukushkin said, as well as corporate sponsorships and ticket sales.


Proceeds from the tournament are designated for Russian youth hockey leagues.


Kukushkin was speaking after a press conference Tuesday for the opening of the new Venizia House of Furniture store, the first announced sponsor for the tournament. Fetisov, Makharov and Kasatanov were on hand for the opening.Store manager Viktor Gomelsky said Venizia is contributing $50,000 to the costs of the tournament, banking on sponsorship as "good for business and good for hockey."


Tickets for Friday's game are available at Sokolniki arena and cost from 10,000 to 50,000 rubles.


Negotiators for the National Hockey League and its players' union skated around in circles again Monday, reporting no progress in ending a dispute that is beginning its second month, the Los Angeles Times reported.


The league is expected to soon announce the cancellation of 14 games -- one-sixth of the season -- from each club's schedule.