Alexei Yashin
Encyclopedia
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin is a Russia
n professional ice hockey
player. He is currently a member of CSKA Moscow
of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL). Yashin last played for SKA Saint Petersburg
of the KHL and has previously played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the Ottawa Senators
(1993–2001) and New York Islanders
(2001–2007).
). After remaining in Russia
for the 1992–93 season with the Dynamo Moscow
, Yashin arrived in Ottawa
for the 1993–94 NHL season, along with Ottawa's other highly touted young draft selection, Alexandre Daigle
. Yashin soon eclipsed Daigle as the team's brightest young star, scoring 79 points in his rookie season and earning a nomination for the Calder Trophy.
Subsequent seasons saw him emerge as a star player in the NHL, helping Ottawa make the playoffs for the first time in 1997. In 1998, he scored a key overtime goal against the New Jersey Devils
that helped the Senators win their first ever playoff series.
Yashin was eventually named team captain of the Senators, and the pinnacle of his career came in the 1998–99 season when he scored 94 points. At the conclusion of the season, Yashin was runner-up for both the Hart Trophy for the NHL's most valuable player, as well as being named an NHL Second Team All-Star. Yashin's regular season success did not carry over into the playoffs, and the Senators were swept in the first round by the Buffalo Sabres
.
Off the ice, however, Yashin's time in Ottawa was tumultuous. Senators' management initially viewed Daigle, who had been selected first overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
, as the franchise's cornerstone player. While they hesitated in giving Yashin a five year, $4 million contract, they signed Daigle to one of the largest rookie contracts in history, and touted him over Yashin for the Calder Trophy at the conclusion of the 1993–94 season. Several nasty contract disputes later developed between Yashin and the team, beginning when Yashin refused to honor his contract at the onset of the 1995–96 NHL season, unless the terms were renegotiated to make him the team's highest paid player. The holdout caused many Senators' fans to sour on him. Some commentators have sympathized with Yashin's position in the dispute, as Daigle had struggled on the ice, in contrast with Yashin's performance. Yashin's offensive numbers exceeded Daigle's in every season they played together on the Senators.
In 1998, Yashin initially pledged to give a million dollars to the National Arts Centre
in Ottawa, the Centre's largest ever donation. The Senators had earlier collaborated with the NAC to produce the 1998–99 season program titled as "Symphony on Ice", which featured head coach Jacques Martin on the front cover wearing a tuxedo
and waving a conductor's baton, while NAC music director Pinchas Zukerman
was shown in the Senators' locker room with a #00 Senators jersey. When the NAC learned that one of the conditions of this donation was for them to pay Yashin's parents $425,000 in consulting fees for "loosely defined" services, they balked and Yashin cancelled the donation. The failed arrangement was a public relations disaster for Yashin and his family, and served to further damage Yashin's already strained relationship with the public in Ottawa.
Yashin's relationship with the Ottawa Senators reached a new low after the 1998–99 season. Yashin refused to honor the final year of his contract and demanded a raise (he would have earned $3.6 million USD that year, compared to other star centerman like Steve Yzerman
and Joe Sakic
who made $6–7 million). When the Senators refused, he demanded a trade on the advice of his agent, Mark Gandler. This was the third time Yashin demanded a new contract during his five years with the team. The Senators refused to trade Yashin, instead stripping him of his captaincy and handing it to Daniel Alfredsson
. When Yashin still refused to report, the Senators suspended him for the rest of the 1999–2000 NHL season on November 10, with the full support of the NHL. Yashin attempted to sign with a team in Switzerland
, but the International Ice Hockey Federation
suspended him from playing internationally until the dispute was resolved. After the season, an NHL arbitrator refused to grant Yashin the free agent status he claimed to have earned, upholding the Senators' claim that Yashin owed them the final season of his contract if he did return to the NHL. It was another public relations disaster for Yashin.
Yashin returned to the Senators for the 2000–01 season. Despite being jeered by the crowd in every NHL arena, including Ottawa, Yashin had a solid regular season offensively. The Senators entered the post-season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and were paired against the seventh-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs
. However, the Leafs swept the Senators out of the playoffs. Yashin himself had a poor series while being shadowed by the Leafs' Shayne Corson
. Yashin did not attend the final team meeting, held after the Senator's early playoff exit.
, Yashin was sent to the New York Islanders
for defenseman Zdeno Chára
, forward Bill Muckalt
and the second overall draft selection, which the Senators used to draft highly-touted centerman Jason Spezza
. Islanders' GM Mike Milbury
promptly re-signed Yashin to an enormous 10-year, $87.5 million USD contract. Although his contract was reduced by 24 percent due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2005, Yashin was widely considered to be grossly overpaid and virtually untradeable.
After joining the Islanders, Yashin's point production declined. While he helped his new team make the playoffs for the first time in eight years in 2001–02, the Islanders were still unable to advance beyond the first round. The Isles bowed out to the Toronto Maple Leafs
in a hard-fought seven game series in 2001–02 and then lost in five games to Ottawa in 2002–03 and the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning
in 2003–04. Yashin's play was generally praised in 2001–02, as he carried the team's offense for stretches during the season. The following years, his mediocre point production led people both inside and outside the Islanders organization to question his effort and salary.
Prior to the 2005–06 season, the Islanders lost several key players to free agency or retirement and significantly retooled their roster. Captain Michael Peca
was traded to free up room to sign free agents such as high-scoring wing Miroslav Šatan
and Yashin became team captain. Journalists suggested that the team had finally been built around Yashin and would sink or swim with his performance. A common defense of Yashin's decreased offensive output had been the lack of a legitimate first line winger to play with him. Satan and Yashin showed signs of chemistry early in the season, but generally produced disappointing results. When Satan was moved off Yashin's line, his offensive output increased markedly. After the season ended with the Islanders out of the playoffs for the first time since his arrival, Yashin acknowledged that he needed to score more. After the' season ended, there had been speculation that the Islanders would buy out his contract and rebuild in a different image, but the team decided to retain him.
An October 2006 article in Newsday
suggested that Yashin must "make a difference" in 2006–07 or he will be bought out at the end of the season. By the 20 game mark, Yashin was earning praise in the local media for the first time in recent memory, and his point totals were among the league leaders. On Saturday, November 25, 2006, Yashin suffered a knee sprain after taking a knee-to-knee hit. He initially returned after a few weeks, but his effectiveness was reduced, and the team revealed that the knee was not 100%. Early in February, Islanders coach Ted Nolan
decided to rest Yashin until his knee was completely healthy, which prompted questions about whether team still had faith in Yashin and whether the re-injury was legitimate or a pretext for benching him.
Yashin finally returned to the line-up on March 8, 2007, and posted 13 points (five goals and eight assists) in 16 games helping the Islanders clinch the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. In the first round series against the Buffalo Sabres
, Yashin registered no points in five games and at times was demoted to the fourth line by coach Ted Nolan
. The Islanders decided to buy out the remainder of Yashin's contract in June 2007, according to a report in Newsday. The contract was bought out for $17.63 million, or two-thirds of the amount left on the contract, to be paid out over eight years at a rate of $2.2 million per year.
as saying, adding "He'd love to return to Ottawa, in fact." However, the Senators showed little to no interest in bringing Yashin back into the fold, and Gandler was subsequently "not happy with" contract offers from various NHL teams, resulting in threats of his client returning to Russia to resume his hockey career. On July 20, 2007, Yashin signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
of the Russian Super League.
On May 29, 2009, it was announced that he had signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL). This news came several months after he helped Lokomotiv Yaroslavl reach the seventh game of the Gagarin Cup
final, which they ultimately lost 1–0. That season, he also led the team in both regular season as well playoff scoring, with 47 points (21 goals and 26 assists) in 56 regular season games, and 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 19 playoff games.
During the summer of 2011, the New York Islanders and Yashin discussed the possibility of Yashin returning to play for the team in the 2011-12 season. Ultimately, the two sides failed to come to terms and Yashin subsequently signed a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow
for the 2011–12 season.
in the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey
and the 1998
, 2002
, and 2006 Winter Olympics
. He has won Olympic silver (1998) and bronze (2002) medals.
Carol Alt
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He is currently a member of CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow is a major Russian sports club based in Moscow. It is popularly referred to in the West as "Red Army" or "the Red Army team" because during the Soviet era, it was a part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the Soviet Army...
of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL). Yashin last played for SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg is a Russian professional ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. SKA is an abbreviation for "Sports Club of the Army"...
of the KHL and has previously played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(1993–2001) and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(2001–2007).
Ottawa Senators, 1993–2001
Yashin received his initial fame for being the first draft pick in the history of the expansion Ottawa Senators (2nd overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft1992 NHL Entry Draft
The 1992 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. A total of 264 players were drafted.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
). After remaining in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
for the 1992–93 season with the Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...
, Yashin arrived in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
for the 1993–94 NHL season, along with Ottawa's other highly touted young draft selection, Alexandre Daigle
Alexandre Daigle
Alexandre Daigle is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Despite being drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Daigle never lived up to his potential, achieving a maximum of only 51 points in the regular season, well below expectations for a first overall...
. Yashin soon eclipsed Daigle as the team's brightest young star, scoring 79 points in his rookie season and earning a nomination for the Calder Trophy.
Subsequent seasons saw him emerge as a star player in the NHL, helping Ottawa make the playoffs for the first time in 1997. In 1998, he scored a key overtime goal against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
that helped the Senators win their first ever playoff series.
Yashin was eventually named team captain of the Senators, and the pinnacle of his career came in the 1998–99 season when he scored 94 points. At the conclusion of the season, Yashin was runner-up for both the Hart Trophy for the NHL's most valuable player, as well as being named an NHL Second Team All-Star. Yashin's regular season success did not carry over into the playoffs, and the Senators were swept in the first round by the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
.
Off the ice, however, Yashin's time in Ottawa was tumultuous. Senators' management initially viewed Daigle, who had been selected first overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft
1993 NHL Entry Draft
The 1993 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 26, 1993, at the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise specified.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
, as the franchise's cornerstone player. While they hesitated in giving Yashin a five year, $4 million contract, they signed Daigle to one of the largest rookie contracts in history, and touted him over Yashin for the Calder Trophy at the conclusion of the 1993–94 season. Several nasty contract disputes later developed between Yashin and the team, beginning when Yashin refused to honor his contract at the onset of the 1995–96 NHL season, unless the terms were renegotiated to make him the team's highest paid player. The holdout caused many Senators' fans to sour on him. Some commentators have sympathized with Yashin's position in the dispute, as Daigle had struggled on the ice, in contrast with Yashin's performance. Yashin's offensive numbers exceeded Daigle's in every season they played together on the Senators.
In 1998, Yashin initially pledged to give a million dollars to the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
in Ottawa, the Centre's largest ever donation. The Senators had earlier collaborated with the NAC to produce the 1998–99 season program titled as "Symphony on Ice", which featured head coach Jacques Martin on the front cover wearing a tuxedo
Tuxedo
A tuxedo is a type of semi-formal dress for men.Tuxedo may also refer to:-Places:Canada* Tuxedo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city neighborhood** Tuxedo , a provincial electoral district in Manitoba...
and waving a conductor's baton, while NAC music director Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
was shown in the Senators' locker room with a #00 Senators jersey. When the NAC learned that one of the conditions of this donation was for them to pay Yashin's parents $425,000 in consulting fees for "loosely defined" services, they balked and Yashin cancelled the donation. The failed arrangement was a public relations disaster for Yashin and his family, and served to further damage Yashin's already strained relationship with the public in Ottawa.
Yashin's relationship with the Ottawa Senators reached a new low after the 1998–99 season. Yashin refused to honor the final year of his contract and demanded a raise (he would have earned $3.6 million USD that year, compared to other star centerman like Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
and Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
who made $6–7 million). When the Senators refused, he demanded a trade on the advice of his agent, Mark Gandler. This was the third time Yashin demanded a new contract during his five years with the team. The Senators refused to trade Yashin, instead stripping him of his captaincy and handing it to Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He is the captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He is considered a leader by example and has been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value to the Senators...
. When Yashin still refused to report, the Senators suspended him for the rest of the 1999–2000 NHL season on November 10, with the full support of the NHL. Yashin attempted to sign with a team in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, but the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
suspended him from playing internationally until the dispute was resolved. After the season, an NHL arbitrator refused to grant Yashin the free agent status he claimed to have earned, upholding the Senators' claim that Yashin owed them the final season of his contract if he did return to the NHL. It was another public relations disaster for Yashin.
Yashin returned to the Senators for the 2000–01 season. Despite being jeered by the crowd in every NHL arena, including Ottawa, Yashin had a solid regular season offensively. The Senators entered the post-season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and were paired against the seventh-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. However, the Leafs swept the Senators out of the playoffs. Yashin himself had a poor series while being shadowed by the Leafs' Shayne Corson
Shayne Corson
Shayne Corson is a retired Canadian professional hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dallas Stars...
. Yashin did not attend the final team meeting, held after the Senator's early playoff exit.
New York Islanders, 2001–2007
On draft day, 20012001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
, Yashin was sent to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for defenseman Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...
, forward Bill Muckalt
Bill Muckalt
Bill Muckalt is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Muckalt played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild from 1998 until 2003.-Playing career:...
and the second overall draft selection, which the Senators used to draft highly-touted centerman Jason Spezza
Jason Spezza
Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
. Islanders' GM Mike Milbury
Mike Milbury
Michael Milbury is an American sportscaster currently working as an ice hockey analyst for the New England Sports Network , Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on NBC. He played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League , all of them as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins...
promptly re-signed Yashin to an enormous 10-year, $87.5 million USD contract. Although his contract was reduced by 24 percent due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2005, Yashin was widely considered to be grossly overpaid and virtually untradeable.
After joining the Islanders, Yashin's point production declined. While he helped his new team make the playoffs for the first time in eight years in 2001–02, the Islanders were still unable to advance beyond the first round. The Isles bowed out to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a hard-fought seven game series in 2001–02 and then lost in five games to Ottawa in 2002–03 and the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
in 2003–04. Yashin's play was generally praised in 2001–02, as he carried the team's offense for stretches during the season. The following years, his mediocre point production led people both inside and outside the Islanders organization to question his effort and salary.
Prior to the 2005–06 season, the Islanders lost several key players to free agency or retirement and significantly retooled their roster. Captain Michael Peca
Michael Peca
Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
was traded to free up room to sign free agents such as high-scoring wing Miroslav Šatan
Miroslav Satan
Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga.-Pre-NHL:In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division...
and Yashin became team captain. Journalists suggested that the team had finally been built around Yashin and would sink or swim with his performance. A common defense of Yashin's decreased offensive output had been the lack of a legitimate first line winger to play with him. Satan and Yashin showed signs of chemistry early in the season, but generally produced disappointing results. When Satan was moved off Yashin's line, his offensive output increased markedly. After the season ended with the Islanders out of the playoffs for the first time since his arrival, Yashin acknowledged that he needed to score more. After the' season ended, there had been speculation that the Islanders would buy out his contract and rebuild in a different image, but the team decided to retain him.
An October 2006 article in Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
suggested that Yashin must "make a difference" in 2006–07 or he will be bought out at the end of the season. By the 20 game mark, Yashin was earning praise in the local media for the first time in recent memory, and his point totals were among the league leaders. On Saturday, November 25, 2006, Yashin suffered a knee sprain after taking a knee-to-knee hit. He initially returned after a few weeks, but his effectiveness was reduced, and the team revealed that the knee was not 100%. Early in February, Islanders coach Ted Nolan
Ted Nolan
Theodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
decided to rest Yashin until his knee was completely healthy, which prompted questions about whether team still had faith in Yashin and whether the re-injury was legitimate or a pretext for benching him.
Yashin finally returned to the line-up on March 8, 2007, and posted 13 points (five goals and eight assists) in 16 games helping the Islanders clinch the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. In the first round series against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, Yashin registered no points in five games and at times was demoted to the fourth line by coach Ted Nolan
Ted Nolan
Theodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
. The Islanders decided to buy out the remainder of Yashin's contract in June 2007, according to a report in Newsday. The contract was bought out for $17.63 million, or two-thirds of the amount left on the contract, to be paid out over eight years at a rate of $2.2 million per year.
Post Islanders, 2007–present
Perhaps surprisingly, Yashin's agent, Mark Gandler, claimed that his client was keen on a return to Ottawa once his contract had been bought out by the Islanders. "It's a new chapter and we'll be calling Ottawa for sure," Gandler was quoted in the Ottawa SunOttawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
as saying, adding "He'd love to return to Ottawa, in fact." However, the Senators showed little to no interest in bringing Yashin back into the fold, and Gandler was subsequently "not happy with" contract offers from various NHL teams, resulting in threats of his client returning to Russia to resume his hockey career. On July 20, 2007, Yashin signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv , also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Yaroslavl. The name of the team is derived from its owner, Russian Railways, the national railroad operator....
of the Russian Super League.
On May 29, 2009, it was announced that he had signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL). This news came several months after he helped Lokomotiv Yaroslavl reach the seventh game of the Gagarin Cup
Gagarin Cup
The Gagarin Cup is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League playoffs, and is named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space...
final, which they ultimately lost 1–0. That season, he also led the team in both regular season as well playoff scoring, with 47 points (21 goals and 26 assists) in 56 regular season games, and 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 19 playoff games.
During the summer of 2011, the New York Islanders and Yashin discussed the possibility of Yashin returning to play for the team in the 2011-12 season. Ultimately, the two sides failed to come to terms and Yashin subsequently signed a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow is a major Russian sports club based in Moscow. It is popularly referred to in the West as "Red Army" or "the Red Army team" because during the Soviet era, it was a part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the Soviet Army...
for the 2011–12 season.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | Automobilist Yekaterinburg | USSR | 26 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Dynamo Moscow HC Dynamo Moscow HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League... |
RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
28 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 27 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
83 | 30 | 49 | 79 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 47 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Las Vegas Thunder Las Vegas Thunder The Las Vegas Thunder were an independent professional ice hockey team competing in the International Hockey League. The team's home rink was at the Thomas & Mack Center. They began play in the 1993–1994 season, folding on April 18, 1999... |
IHL | 24 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 46 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... |
RSL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 82 | 35 | 40 | 75 | 44 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 82 | 33 | 39 | 72 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 1998–99 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 82 | 44 | 50 | 94 | 54 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 1999–00 | Did not play | Contract dispute | ||||||||||||
| 2000–01 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 82 | 40 | 48 | 88 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 78 | 32 | 43 | 75 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 | New York Islanders | NHL | 81 | 26 | 39 | 65 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Islanders | NHL | 47 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Hockey Club Lokomotiv , also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Yaroslavl. The name of the team is derived from its owner, Russian Railways, the national railroad operator.... |
RSL | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 28 | 38 | 66 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | New York Islanders | NHL | 58 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 44 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | RSL | 56 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 63 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 16 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 KHL season The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on February 26, 2009... |
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe.... |
56 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 30 | 19 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 KHL season The 2009–10 KHL season was the second season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 10 September 2009 to 27 April 2010, with a break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March... |
SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | 56 | 18 | 46 | 64 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 KHL season The 2010–11 KHL season is the third season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 8 September 2010 and ended on 16 April 2011.The season started with the Opening Cup game between the last season's finalists, Ak Bars Kazan and the new team that was created by merging last season's... |
SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | 52 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 850 | 337 | 444 | 781 | 401 | 48 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 24 | ||||
| KHL totals | 164 | 54 | 90 | 144 | 118 | 27 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 10 | ||||
International play
On the international stage, Yashin has represented his native RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
and the 1998
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, and 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. He has won Olympic silver (1998) and bronze (2002) medals.
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Place | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 16th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1991 until January 4, 1992. It was held in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany... |
CIS | WJC | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1993 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Gävle, Sweden. Canada won the gold medal, its sixth championship, while Sweden won silver, and the combined team of the Czech and Slovak Republics won bronze... |
Russia | WJC | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Junior int'l totals | 10 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||||
| 1993 1993 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 9-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Switzerland was relegated to Group B.- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Russia | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Russia | WC | 5th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| 1996 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :Austria was relegated to Group B.- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Russia | WC | 4th | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | |
| 1996 1996 World Cup of Hockey The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey .... |
Russia | WCH World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
SF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1997 1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Second Round 1-6 Place :Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.- Consolation Round 7-12 Place :... |
Russia | WC | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
Russia | Oly Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1999 1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:... |
Russia | WC | 5th | 6 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
Russia | WC | 11th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2001 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001... |
Russia | WC | 5th | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Russia | Oly | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2004 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held April 24-May 9, 2004, in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Games for this Ice Hockey World Championships tournament were played at Sazka Arena and ČEZ Aréna... |
Russia | WC | 10th | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2004 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
Russia | WCH | QF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2005 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico... |
Russia | WC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Russia | Oly | 4th | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| Int'l totals | 88 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 73 | ||||
Personal
Yashin is in a long-term relationship with actress and former supermodelSupermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
Carol Alt
Carol Alt
Carol Ann Alt is an American model and actress.- Early life:Alt was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, the daughter of Muriel, an airline employee and model, and Anthony Alt, a fire chief. She was noticed waiting tables in her hometown of East Williston, New York. When she was 18, she decided to...
.