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Wednesday, November 10, 1999
Bettman supports Senators
NEW YORK (CP-AP) -- The NHL is fully behind the Ottawa Senators in their battle with holdout centre Alexei Yashin."The league supports the Ottawa club," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said today, adding that the issue of financial penalties "is up to the club in the first instance."
The Senators suspended Yashin for the season Tuesday and threatened him with financial penalties if the club loses money because of his absence.
Ottawa general manager Marshall Johnston also reiterated that the Senators will not trade the Russian centre, and said the club believes Yashin still owes them a season's service.
The threat of financial penalties and the issue of whether Yashin owes the team another season could be critical to the league and the NHL Players Association.
The NHL Players Association said it would have more to say on the subject once Yashin's agent, Mark Gandler, returned from Europe. A call to Gandler was not returned.
"It is our view, supported by the National Hockey League, that under the terms of his standard player's contract, and the collective bargaining agreement, as well as under accepted principles of contract law, Alexei is obligated to deliver to our club one more full season of play under the terms and conditions of his contract," Johnston said.
"We therefore look forward to Alexei playing for the Senators for the 2000-2001 season, or in a subsequent year under the terms of his current contract."
The messy affair has been the talk of the hockey community.
"The Senators got to make a business decision that's best not only for their hockey team, but in the best interest of the fans," Wayne Gretzky said in Calgary. "I don't have all the answers or what's right or wrong, or whose fault it is. But the reality is that it seems Alexei's not happy and obviously the Senators aren't happy with him."
The dispute comes at a critical point in the franchise's history, as majority owner Rod Bryden lobbies for tax breaks he says the team needs to survive.
Yashin was due to make $3.6 million this season, the last in a five-year $13.5 million contract.
Yashin has stayed away from the team because he wants to renegotiate and bring his contract in line with the salaries of top stars. His agent suggested an extension that called for $11 million and $12 million the next two years.
Yashin, who set franchise records with 44 goals and 94 points last season, is in Switzerland practising with the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss Ice Hockey League.
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