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Thursday, October 21, 1999
No turning back
It's unlikely Yashin could return to Sens
The Senators' holdout captain looked quite content practising with the Swiss Elite League's Kloten Flyers at the Bulach Ice Hall, but underneath his red helmet, Yashin had a lot on his mind.
Yashin chose his words carefully during a wide-ranging interview with the Sun yesterday, and I got the sense he wouldn't mind plying his trade elsewhere.
The New York Rangers would likely be Yashin's No. 1 choice. They're a natural fit. They need a superstar to replace Wayne Gretzky and Yashin has already proven he is a top NHL player.
While Yashin publicly maintains he'll play for whatever team wants him, including the Senators, it's what he doesn't say that speaks volumes -- that the war he is fighting with the team this time is probably pushing his relationship with Ottawa beyond salvage.
Out of sight...
Tired of the bickering with Senators owner Rod Bryden, president Roy Mlakar and GM Marshall Johnston in the newspapers, Yashin took his talents to Switzerland to escape the spotlight. He doesn't want to endure the daily grind of another very public battle.
Several times during our interview, Yashin stopped a train of thought because he didn't want to say something that would subject him to more second-guessing.
Whether he'll ever return to Ottawa is seriously in doubt. This is no longer just a fight about money. From his perspective, it has come down to the respect the organization has for its top player and whether the team has a plan to win championships.
So he tries to avoid talking about trade prospects.
"I can't really comment on it," said Yashin, "because it's not my decision."
Clearly, Yashin is not thrilled with being raked over the coals by the Senators and others over his demand for a new contract.
In various quarters, Yashin has been labelled greedy and selfish, fans have launched a lawsuit against him and Bryden is trying to force him to come back by setting a "drop-dead" date after which Bryden feels Yashin will owe the team another year on his contract.
Still, the player remains defiant.
"I can't worry about that stuff. What's happening in North America is not in my control."
Wall of silence
Speculation that surfaced last week had Yashin preparing to make a return to the Senators. But if Yashin had at some point wanted to come back, he didn't sound like it yesterday. There have been no discussions between the two sides since Sept. 1.
"We made a proposal and they didn't want to talk to us," said Yashin.
Current speculation has the Senators willing to wait until December to decide whether they'll try to trade Yashin or let him sit out the season.
In the meantime, the Senators are winning the battle of public perception against their superstar in this latest dispute. If it were a tennis game the umpire would have already declared it: "Game, set and match."
Still, Yashin, who plans to celebrate his 26th birthday with his family here next month, says he has no plans to give in.
Instead, he's going about his business quietly in this Zurich suburb, waiting to see what the Senators will do about his future.
This time, the damage might be beyond repair. Yashin is keeping many of his opinions to himself, but there's good cause to doubt he'll ever be able to wear an Ottawa Senators jersey again.
Even a bigger paycheque might not be answer enough this time.
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