BOSTON – Claude Lemieux’s return to the Devils is a microcosm of his career: No apologies for dirty play.

While getting ready for his first game back with the Devils, a 3-1 loss to the Bruins last night, Lemieux cleared the air about the way he returned to the team he was banished from four years ago.

“I don’t think any apologies had to be made,” Lemieux said of his post-Cup bid to renege on a contract he signed before the Devils won the 1995 Stanley Cup and he captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

GM Lou Lamoriello agreed that Lemieux did not have to apologize for that outlandish stance, a position Lemieux lost, and prompted a then-indignant Lamoriello to ship out the playoff hero.

“We went through a process on that. He had his position, we had ours, and we saw each other during that process. It wasn’t something [that required an apology],” Lamoriello said.

It seemed like a bald-faced move of bad faith, but all appeared forgiven Wednesday when the Devils traded Brian Rolston to Colorado for Lemieux, New Jersey’s option to swap firsts and a second-round pick.

“If I’m here today, it says a lot about me and how I feel about the team, and the same thing the other way, how they feel about me,” said Lemieux, held scoreless last night. “I wouldn’t be here if I had any hard feelings. I wouldn’t be here if Lou and Dr. McMullen (team owner) didn’t feel the same way.”

Lemieux likened that contract mess to a family quarrel.

“It led to a trade. That’s the unfortunate thing,” Lemieux said.

With unrestricted free agency looming in July, the 34-year-old Lemieux knew the Avs would be dealing him this season. They told him as much and consulted him on trade offers, since interested teams would want assurance that he’d at least want to come, and perhaps listen to contract offers.

Lemieux is earning $2.47 million in this, the final year of his contract, and it would be an upset if he signs before testing the market.