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Thursday, December 9, 1999
NHL won't fight Yashin in court
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The NHL isn't going to let Senators holdout centre Alexei Yashin have a chance to beat them in the courtroom.
Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed yesterday the league won't allow an arbitration hearing to take place after the NHL Players Association filed a grievance on Yashin's behalf three weeks ago.
The board of governors were updated on the league's position on Yashin by executive VP and chief legal officer Bill Daly during their session yesterday, and the NHL maintains there is no need for a hearing.
"Among other things, we don't think the claim is right and as a matter of sensible jurisprudence, we don't litigate issues that aren't right," said Bettman. "The NHLPA filed a grievance in support of Yashin and as required by the collective bargaining agreement, we responded. That's where things stand."
Nobody is sure what action the NHLPA is going to take next, but they are expected to respond because Yashin has been suspended for the balance of the season by the Senators and they claim he owes them the final year of his contract at $3.6 million next year.
The league has also threatened to sue the union for supporting a player who is not honouring his contract and for "condoning" the actions that Yashin has taken.
NHLPA head Bob Goodenow has yet to get back to the league.
"Our position hasn't changed and it won't. He's suspended," said Ottawa president Roy Mlakar. "We assume that we will get a response from the NHLPA, but we don't have any indication what they're going to do next."
While the NHL is trying to force Yashin to report to Senators camp, so that the matter can be settled, it's likely going to drag on for the rest of the season and won't be arbitrated until next summer.
That's when Yashin is supposed to qualify for Group II restricted free agency, but the league is denying that is the case because of his refusal to honour his contract.
"If he stays out all year, then this isn't going to be settled for a long time," said an NHL executive. "We're just going to have to wait to see what happens.
"The lawyers from both sides are going to have to try to get together. Who knows? Maybe it can be settled that way."
WAITING FOR THE OLYMPICS: The NHL board of governors put off making a final commitment to the Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City because the International Ice Hockey Federation hasn't completed all the paperwork. "Until that's done, there's nothing to talk about," said Bettman. Ideally, the governors would like to give final approval during meetings at the NHL all-star game in February in Toronto.
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