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Thursday, October 14, 1999
Bowness knows all about Yashin
But the first man to coach the most talented player to ever wear an Ottawa uniform insists the all-star captain will be welcomed back with open arms by the fans and his teammates if the situation is ever settled.
"If he ever plays there again he's going to have to produce in a hurry." said former Senators coach Rick Bowness, sitting behind his new desk in the Phoenix Coyotes' office yesterday.
"People will be able to forgive him for everything that's been said, everything that's been done if he comes back and they see him working hard and producing the way they expect him to produce."
The two sides have been quiet lately, but there has been plenty of bad blood built up while Yashin, 25, sits in Switzerland, holding out for a new contract or trade, and the situation is no closer to resolving itself.
In fact, sources say that Yashin and agent Mark Gandler expect they could be forced to wait two months before the Sens decide whether they're going to listen to offers or make an attempt to bring the captain back.
Bowness is well aware of the kind of player Yashin can be on and off the ice. That's why Bowness understands the Senators' dilemma when it comes to deciding whether to trade one of the game's most talented players.
SPECIAL TALENT
No, Yashin is not a vocal leader and can be difficult to deal with in the dressing room. However, he's a special talent who can make the Senators better.
"You could tell from the first day of camp that Yashin was going to be a special player," said Bowness. "You knew you had somebody that was going to be a dominant player in this league.
"That's why this is a situation where you have to be careful. Players like this don't come along very often and he's too good a player to give up on. You don't just forget it with a guy like that. If you're going to make a move, you really have to think about it."
It hardly seems possible the Senators would even think about trading Yashin, but times have changed.
Just four years ago, Bowness -- the first coach in the club's history -- was trying to groom Yashin and 1993 No. 1 pick Alexandre Daigle for what could be long, prosperous careers.
STILL ACTIVE
As Bowness sat talking with Ottawa reporters, it was noted he's the only one of the threesome still in the league. Daigle was recently banished to the AHL's Hartford WolfPack while Yashin is a man on the run.
"It's funny how it works, but it shows you time changes everything," said Bowness. "Nobody can predict what is going to happen. In the case of (Daigle), that's just a guy who never turned into the kind of player everybody expected. He never changed from his first day in the league, he just didn't have the heart or the desire to get it done.
"In the case of Alexei Yashin, time worked in his favour because he's developed into a top-notch hockey player. In the case of (Daigle) time has worked against him because he's not going to resurrect his career in the minors."
Bowness is convinced there's still a chance for Yashin to have a solid career with the Senators.
"I think he can still play there, but he'll have a lot to prove," said Bowness. "If he shows up there, shuts up, plays and gives them a legitimate chance to win the Cup, they'll forgive him.
"Look at Tom Barrasso in Pittsburgh. There were a lot of bad things said about him, but he went back in there, kept his mouth shut, took them to a Stanley Cup and everybody was happy. Alexei can go back there."
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