The NHLPA filed a grievance on behalf of holdout
Senators C Alexei Yashin saying that he should be a
restricted free agent next year even "if he doesn't put on"
a Senators uniform because the CBA "has no specific rules
for players who hold out," according to Bruce Garrioch of
the OTTAWA SUN. Once the NHL responds to the grievance, the
issue will be "forwarded to an independent arbitrator and a
hearing will have to be held" determining Yashin's contract
status with the team (OTTAWA SUN, 11/27). Garrioch: "What's
surprising is that the [NHLPA] decided to make this move
now. The general belief was that [NHLPA Exec Dir] Bob
Goodenow and Co. would wait until the end of the season to
see what Yashin's status was." An NHL exec: "This is going
to set a precedent. If the league wins [and Yashin is bound
to the Senators], there's no way that another player will be
able to just walk away from their contract whenever they
damn well please" (OTTAWA SUN, 11/28). In Worcester, MA,
Bud Barth wrote that the NHLPA showed "nerve" in filing a
grievance. Barth: "Let's get a truly independent arbitrator
... to tell Yashin, and others like him, that the free rides
are over" (Worcester TELEGRAM & GAZETTE, 11/28).
GOODENOW MEETS THE PRESS: Goodenow was interviewed by
Al Strachan of the TORONTO SUN and was asked about the
possibility of a strike or lockout when the CBA expires in
2004: "There's certainly a possibility that another owner
lockout or strike could occur. The best thing would be to
have discussions between the parties and for a program to
evolve without that kind of disruption. ... It's incumbent
... to do everything in their power to avoid a problem and
I'm focused on that." Goodenow, on possible cost
containment by the owners: "Markets can go up and down. The
idea for players to accept a salary-cap system is really a
notion for them to accept less than they might otherwise
have been paid" (TORONTO SUN, 11/25).
STATE OF THE LEAGUE: In Phoenix, Bob McManaman wrote on
the NHL under the header, "NHL Skating Toward Apocalypse?"
McManaman: "As the NHL skates closer to the new millennium,
there are grave concerns about the future of the league."
Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman: "The game, itself, has never
been better. The players are more exciting. The equipment
is better. The buildings are better. The TV contract is
better. ... But I hate to say it. I really do. But I've
got some concerns about where we're headed. I don't know if
we can survive at this rate" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/28). In
a sidebar, McManaman profiled Goodenow and wrote, "To the
players, Goodenow has become [Wayne] Gretzky-like [in] his
ability to transform the union into a powerful wing of the
NHL establishment" (AZ REPUBLIC, 11/28). But in Detroit,
Becky Yerak profiled the league and quoted NHL Commissioner
Gary Bettman saying at the Kagan Sports Values & Finance
Conference, "We have great demographics. Our fans are the
best educated, most affluent and most computer-literate of
the four leagues. We draw women to games in record numbers
relative to the size of our fan base" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/28).
For Forbes' franchise valuations of NHL teams, see (#29).