Now, about that title. A great thing has happened. Alexei Yashin has a year left on his contract, where he'll make $3.5 million this year. He's threatening to (here it is again) breach his contract and hold out for $10 million. And those wusses who put General Manager on their business card (should be 'Trade and Draft Manager And That's It') are buckling. But here-here to Len Potechin of Ottawa. Len says that if Yashin holds out and successfully gets the $10 million, he will sue Yashin for $6.5 million, the difference in what he's making.
I would've for Mathieu Schneider, but he's not an impact player like Mats Sundin, and we got Alexander Karpotsev in return. I'm happy now.
Potechin said he'd give the money to sick children's charities if he wins the case. He's got the grounds to sue him on. He's a $6500-a-seat season ticket holder. He's got 14 grandkids, 5 of which play hockey that (sadly) worship the ground Yashin walks on. He buys his season tickets being told that he's going to watch Alexei Yashin, the Hart Trophy finalist, lead the Sens this year. However, it's not the Sens' fault if Yashin breaches his contract. That's Yashin's sole doing.
Coincidentally, Yashin plays and Potechin watches in the same city that the NHLFA is "headquartered" in, Ottawa. Do the 2 Jims have something to say or do about this?
Now here's my question: Why aren't people doing this in other cities? Again, Mathieu Schneider is not worth the effort in Toronto.
But Keith Tkachuk is in Phoenix, and the fans there should've sued his rear if Bobby Smith was too chicken. And would Glen Sather really sue him if he were in that position, or was he just talking tough?
I'd like to say that with this in mind, Japanese fans should've sued Paul Kariya. They were buying tickets in droves to see their (partly) native son play, and then he held out and they got very disappointed. (No knock on Teeme Selanne who I hear is not a holding-out type of guy).
Right now, Len Potechin could be a hero to hockey. He could be the saviour. He could be the man who brings the demands of players humbly to the ground. If he wins this landmark case, it would set a precedent in Canada. In other words, no player could do that while playing for a Canadian team in Canada because the precedent would be set.
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