The Career of Alexei Yashin

[@JohnnyBuschi]

I worked for the Nassau Coliseum and the Islanders when he was there. Hands down one of THE NICEST players to ever come through that building. Always smiling, always spoke to you like a friend even if you were a stranger. The same for his girlfriend, Carol. Sometimes she brought us hot chocolate on cold, snowy nights.

[@jeremyc1076]

It's hilarious but it seems like people who have actually met the guy have nothing but great things to say about him. And yet in the media he was super divisive and villainous.

[@Nikkerman]

He's so devisive even people like me who never watched him play know his name

[@faunbudweis]

simple, a ruski signs a contract, a ruski decides at some pint it is just a piece of paper, nothing new here, see Fedorov, Bure, Kovalchuk, putin...

[@HarryRiceHockey]

@@faunbudweis What are you going on about my guy lmao. Fedorov walked away as a UFA he didn't terminate any contracts, Bure pretty sure dude retired because his knees were fucked, Kovalchuk just went to the KHL because that's something he had the option of doing lol. Clearly any and all Russians will want more money whenever they get the chance just look at Ovechkin, Vasilevskiy, Kucherov, Barkov, Panarin, Kaprizov. Your point is clearly the right one. ;)

[@vincentmarinelli3404]

How about Ron Francis next? I checked, you’d haven’t done one for him yet. Think you only mentioned him as a player in your greatest passers video years ago. Deserves more of a deep dive, please do it for this lifelong Canes fan.

[@badm0t0rf1ng3r]

It was Yashin, not Daigle that was the proposed centerpiece of the Yzerman to Ottawa talks in the early 90s. Yashin was really good. He would have 1000gp and 1000 points if he doesn't lose 1 and half seasons to lockout and 1 to sitting out/suspended.

[@faunbudweis]

I thank the hockey gods for not making that trade...

[@stephenhigham1984]

I was at the Sens alumni game in 2017, and it felt good for fans to cheer for Yashin when he stepped on the ice. Sort of a cathartic, water under the bridge sort of thing.

[@nadaduo1765]

Daige said he was glad was drafted 1st because no one remembers number 2 Number 2 was Chris Pronger lol

[@Digital_PeterGriffin]

Funny how the top 3 spots in every nhl draft are usually remembered, at least for trivial knowledge purposes

[@derekbird9276]

I'm a life long Ottawa fan and I agree with everything you've said about the Ottawa side of things and how the fan base generally feels

[@griffstah]

I grew up in Ottawa, still live here to this day. As a kid of 7 er 8 I stood outside a local rink the Sens were practicing at that day. All the players walked passed me only one of the players stopped to say hi and sign my sweater, Yashin. Alexi Yashin was a good man, people got the wrong idea about him.

[@clever-username]

Found Yashin's burner account.

[@theomega311]

My first experience with Yashin was something else… My grandpa loved hockey but would get so mad when I would bring up the idea Nashville should acquire Yashin in exchange for Legwand, Upshall, and Finley the goalie we took in 1999. But to me, even as his numbers stand now I think I would have preferred having Yashin. No telling how that changes the Radulov situation later, and he would have been on that team with Kariya and Forsberg and Arnott. I get the attitude part I do, but I remember as a fan being so down in the dumps because we couldn’t develop a 30 goal guy to save our lives.

[@dtown902]

I remember seeing the Sens play an exhibition game in Halifax. It was the very first game after he came back from the contract dispute. The crowd booed him everytime he touched the puck. And it was a pro-Ottawa crowd too.

[@Buffalosabskis]

Was old enough to see him play when I was 8 and the Sabres swept the Sens in 99. I mostly remember the Rick famous call “Robbed Yashin blind!!!!”. My older brother that I shared a room with was into all NHL players as I was, but I had a strict rule of only Sabres posters. Well my brother broke this by having a Yashin poster. I think I ripped it down in high school when he scored on the Sabres in a regular season game. Great player though

[@Zamppa86]

I remember Yashin being the first very big name alongside with Lindros who refused to play if this and that didn't go exactly as he wanted.

[@hpcarlos2255]

As a Ny islanders fan i never hated him, he Paired well with Micheal Peca those first 3 years , etc …….

[@theblindjedi41]

Maybe do a career video on Alexandre Daigle next? He is kind of connected and one of the biggest draft busts in history.

[@theblindjedi41]

@Matt Joseph I've heard that story too. Either way with all his other antics it could be a very interesting video.

[@moufou4life]

I personally don’t think he’s the biggest bust, he sure didn’t live up to the hype but stefan and yakupov are way worst

[@Chris-qo4rt]

@@moufou4life He's a bigger bust but not a worse player. At least Stefan and Yakupov weren't seen as generational as Daigle was at the time.

[@lvhatrick]

He played for the Las Vegas Thunder for a few games in a lockout season.

[@brando4422]

Growing up in Vegas those Thunders were awesome with great uniforms. As a kid I thought it was just a bunch of scrubs who weren't close to NHL level all be it exciting. As I learned hockey that they has legit NHL players and important key pieces and guys drafted like Burke at 3, and other high picks. I mostly remember the stunt of a female goaltender to get a actually small city residents wise to be interested. But thunder got me a hockey fan.

[@cliffordangus]

Thank you! I was talking to my buddy who's an Islanders fan about Yashin yesterday!

[@BvG_Venom]

Your Yashin jersey retirement video is one of the best 👌

[@victorm3237]

To think the Islanders could have had on the same team: Spezza Chara Luongo Heatly (which they chose to draft Di Pietro instead) That would have been a sick team!

[@NolanEgbert]

Mad Mike robbed the Islanders of a cup in the 2000's

[@Whisky_4_1]

I wonder if Future Considerations could have broken through on a roster like that.

[@rona6063]

The 2003 Ottawa team was even better, Spezza, Hossa, Alfredson, Bonk, Bondra, Fisher, Smolinski, Chara, Redden.....and they ruined it.

[@Jackthgun]

You Could also add Todd Bertzzui

[@Ryan-vi2qy]

Dipietro was supposed to be the next Roy, but with puck handing better than Hextall. I remember buying all the magazines in 2000. Literally, everyone said he was the clear #1 pick

[@Ohhelmno]

I actually loved Yashin. Him, Pavel Bure, and Paul Coffey were my favorite non Red Wings when I was growing up… maybe because they were rarely a threat to us growing up and they were still great but weren’t gonna knock us out in the playoffs or anything most of the time. I started watching in 92-93, so the Coffey was no longer in Pittsburgh, then when he came to Detroit I lost my little mind, and unfortunately I was upset when he left, even though Shanahan helped us win the cup, finally, the year he was traded for him.

[@steveg1054]

Yashin came to my car wash in Kanata when I was a kid in his red BMW. Nice guy. But I was annoyed at his contract issues and stories with the donations and taxes. Was happy when he went to NY. the name Daigle still gives me hives.

[@steveg1054]

The drafts and their picks depending on the year were very weak as well. The Yashin year was awful and full of unknown Russian players. Gonchar would have been decent. Drafting Daigle was so sad.... could have had Pronger or Kariya. Then they drafted Bonk... terrible draft year but Smyth was there (we did get Alfie at 133?). Then it was the cocaine kid Redden.... could have had Iggy or Doan. We got Phillips with the #1 whcih was a good pick as it was another weak draft. Huge draft year in 97 we got Hossa but the entire pool in 1st round was strong so we did well that year wiht a mid pick.

[@CharlieBravoTango]

I've asked myself, "what if Yashin never left?" But then I remember Chara probably would not have been the player he became if he didn't end up playing huge minutes in Ottawa. Because I have no reason to believe he would have been used in a way he would have developed the same way he did in new-york

[@CharlieBravoTango]

@@44Glendon not gonna lie, Wade Redden and Chris Philips were 2 other big guys in Ottawa. I can't understand how Redden fell of so hard down the line. The only explanation I can come up with is either he ended with some undisclosed injury or really bad off the rinks problems. Chris Philips was never going to be Chara. But even as someone who wasn't an Ottawa fab, I remember him being a young D with Ron Tugnott as the main Goalie. He gave you honest D. You don't get to play as long as he did by being mediocre. Chara is a force(freak) of nature. The type of guy who could still play honest, effective, albeit on a smaller role, minutes by his late 40s the same way Chelios did. But to your point, yes, Ottawa has had some things wrong. Remember they had Marian Hossa at the same time and Radek Bonk was also an amazing 2 way forward back in the day

[@faunbudweis]

@@CharlieBravoTango damn the Sens were a team to watch out for in the late 90s/ early 2ks, remember Hasek played there and had one of his best seasons before he went down with an injury? heck, Chara, Marty Havlat, Hossa, then the first line of Alfie-Spezza-Heatley, well, they ran into Moen-Pahlson-Niedermayer..

[@chickenfkeryay]

​@gndsrightnut7900 Cant say that the person was reputable but rangers fans on the official forums used to talk about how redden had a problem with yayo. Maybe that explains his fall off I honestly think he wasnt as bad as people said as much as it was a trick to bury his contract and circumvent the salary cap. If redden wasnt on a rich team like the rangers he would have stayed in the nhl

[@GRChrzak]

The "What if?" scenarios ... What if the Senators had drafted Kariya instead of Daigle? Yashin and Kariya, and maybe still Alfredsson, would have been deadly. But then you'd maybe have even worse contract problems to worry about.

[@alexhoffmann8881]

Yashin did participate in the Senators alumni game on Parliament Hill ahead of the NHL 100 Classic, which seemed to indicate that the team was willing to put the bad relationship in the past (although Heatley didn't play and I don't think Hasek did either).

[@pet7829]

Yashin was one of the best scoring Players of the dead puck Periode. From 1996 Till 2004 He was one of best forwards of the NHL. IT was the Most brutal time to be a scorer. Started to getting intrested in NHL Hockey Back then. Huge diffence to nowadays. Really liked Yashin because of His Performance in the hard Core nhl . He also was one of the View Russins nhl Stars who showed up in IIHF world Cups. His behavior of course was very Strange. I totally get, why poeple dont Like him.But i Always found him strangly cool. He once was proudly stating / bragging about His Martial arts skills. Yashin ist one of my Personal Favorits of the Clutch n Grab aera. The coolest time in NHL history. Didn Not perform in the Playoffs, but the hole Team Just ( Ottawa )was not ready. The islanders we're a looser Team when He arrived. With yashin they became at least a Team that was regulary in the Play offs. Yasin👍

[@ssmith87]

I was in middle school when the Ottawa Senators came into the league and a childhood friend of mine picked them as his favorite team. Joe always liked underdog teams or crappy teams in sports. He had Alexei Yashin jerseys..I always hated that player.

[@zerojayzero]

In the NHL Open Ice arcade game from the 90s, the Ottawa Senators are the only team in the game to have only two players to select from when every other team had 3 or more. The source code for the game was released and in it, you can find that Alexei Yashin was supposed to be the 3rd player on the Senators, but his character has been commented out of the game. Turns out that he was going through some sort of difficult contract issues and the NHL/NHLPA told Midway that he couldn't be allowed to be in the game just before the game was about to be released. They simply didn't have the time to add a 3rd player to replace Yashin.

[@Dogsarecoolnice]

First player I met as a kid, signed a jersey for me

[@chrisgarry22]

I still remember your Alexi Yashin appreciation day video

[@thebutlerart]

I remember people thinking he was the second coming for a bit there. Yeahhhh. Love this.

[@brandonwolak836]

Another career video I would recommend, Nikolai Khabibulin.

[@tylerbrooklyn4187]

Random request but could you do a career of Pavol Demitra video? I feel like he’s one of the forgotten stars of the 00s

[@gmo9172]

Good stuff. I suggest a Bryan Berard career video next, followed by a career video for Redden

[@nampacnamtrac6394]

Would be interested in seeing a Michael peca career video at some point 🤔

[@bassseb]

Please do a Alexandre Daigle career video!

[@InsignificantNick]

Idk if you take requests, but a Tomas Kaberle career video would be groovy

[@86collectables-qy9qr]

Great video! Thanks for sharing

[@nathanjohnson2382]

I didn’t know what the trade included for when he went to the islanders. Wow that really helped the Senators be a contender in the 2000s.

[@andrewburney8075]

Best trade in sens franchise history!

[@one7decimal2eight]

He was great in the nhl games for the genesis

[@imapookie]

Need a daigle career video.

[@DocSportello1970]

Nice Stuff THG! Next OTT Sen for a Career Video should be Mike Fisher.

[@ExplodingHaggis]

Alexei Yashin: Talented yet divisive, and lots of unchecked tactical turtleneck aggression.

[@Ohhelmno]

Every pack of cards in the 90s had Roman Hamrlik in it. It also felt like he played for absolutely ever. Like, I kept seeing him in NHL games in the aughts and thinking… he’s STILL PLAYING?

[@LaoTze151]

Alexei Yashin is so fun just to say... It's what I would call a perfect hockey player name.

[@jameshoy380]

I’d love to see you break down Daigle’s career to compare and contrast.

[@shuyelbari8853]

@TheHockeyGuy, blast from the past Shannon. Dags I remember picking up The Hockey Newscand they had a special 3 page on Dags and his potential never lived up to his billing. Oh Yashon after the NHL career he had cameo in some sitcoms if I vaguely recall.

[@drivethru6155]

He's part of the Sens' past now, meaning fans don't really care anymore but definitely don't like him if you do bring him up in conversation. I think the only situation where fans sort of like him is if they were a kid at that time marveling at his play and didn't see or care about all that other stuff.

[@youngo1]

Just bought his rookie card a couple days ago to add to my sens collection!

[@euchalob]

Upper deck? How much is it worth?

[@youngo1]

@@euchalob 93/94 Pinnacle rookie card - bought it for $4 on eBay. I’m trying to collect some of the most notable sens players from the different eras

[@yostr1]

Still waiting on that Career of Bob Probert video…

[@hijackjoe]

Your doing all these important vidoes so close!

[@garybass4029]

Great content! 👍 very interesting!

[@WarioSaysSo]

Alexei Yashin was greatly tallented, but his ego ruined his impression and respect in both the NHL and on internation ice. He believed he was much bigger then he really was...and he never even made a single season where he scored 100pts, so yeah, he barked more then he could bite so to speak. Never won any league championship either in any professional hockey league. IMO he wasted a lot of his could-be potentials due to his giant ego.

[@one7decimal2eight]

These idiots need to understand that their careers are limited. Sitting out only chips away at your career. You worked your life to get there. Just play. Because it takes a ton to get there and even more to stay.

[@CharlieBravoTango]

@@one7decimal2eight That's true. But it's not as if the New York Islanders at the time were going to reach greatness. The isles were nowhere near providing Yashin at a chance for greatness or legacy. This was a money deal for him, period. And there is nothing wrong with that. Although you could argue he could have cemented a greater legacy in Ottawa than the islanders. And weirdly enough, we think of him more about his trade and his time in Ottawa than his time at Nassau

[@MaisDennis]

What do you do when your getting paid less than... Alexander (no effort) Daigle?

[@CharlieBravoTango]

@@MaisDennis Ottawa's management was especially cursed from the inception of the team back in the 90s. Daigle wasn't a bad player. But he was forced to be the franchise player, the next Mario Lemieux. Closest thing I have is Lafreniere. Tons of talent but can we expect him to score more than 25 goals next year? Daigle was expected to be a 50 goal scorer on a team that drafted its expension team with a dead laptop battery. He wasn't bad. He just didn't meet expectations. Yashin was great. But the business of hockey then and now is weird. Daigle is the reason why you don't pay a rookie 1M a year because rookies and draft picks are magic beans lol

[@MaisDennis]

@@CharlieBravoTango I am aware of all the above. So what's a guy supposed to do when he's doing all the weight lifting, and getting paid less than a guy that was known as being lazy? I'm not one to judge Daigle, but he was known more for his rumours off the ice. Plus, Yashin played on 2 somewhat bad teams, with his talent, imagine what he could bring to your team, if he actually had great players to play with.

[@flanky1210]

You should turn this into a series over the summer. Go over the career of some players.

[@victorsforza5578]

Alexei yashin was a very good player when we got him from Ottawa Islanders fans often forget this go look at his numbers with the senators a multiple 30 40 goal scorer. We gave up Zdeno Chara in that deal ok but Chara wasn't who he was on long island he didn't become Chara till his 2/3 yr in Ottawa and later on he really hit his stride in beantown.

[@larshakansson2612]

credit too the hockey player, yashin

[@danmulcahy6044]

I have never been this early

[@swedreamhack5308]

I think Yashins biggest fan was himself, but he was talented no doubt. For me he's the guy Milbury traded for Spezza and Chara, of which I'm thankful for. Too bad Chara went to Boston.

[@devinator3377]

Career video of Tom barrasso?

[@Chris-qo4rt]

It would be fun if you did Daigle next, not the best career but definitely an interesting one imo.

[@dustinsindledecker154]

Even though I didn't like hash in I did enjoy watching him play.

[@bkjimena11]

I didn't know that Yashin wanted to come back to Ottawa after the 2006-2007 season. 👀

[@BTBAMNYI]

Overall he wasn’t a good playoff performer, but I still fondly remember game 1 in Ottawa of the 2003 ECQF Isles vs Senators. Yashin had a great game and the Islanders won. He was named second star of the game and actually came out and did a little mini celebration when they announced his name. Definitely made me laugh. Aaaaaand then we lost the next four games and the season was over.

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

Have you done a video on Montreal's French Canadian Rule? Maybe a good one for the summer.

[@victorm3237]

Please do the career of Craig Janney, I hope your not mad with my constant annoying requests lol

[@pvhep4036]

Alexei Zhamnov career video please :)

[@rcl1955ca]

It would be nice to see a video on some of the worst contracts in hockey history. I would imagine Rick Dipietro would be close to or at the top of the list (getting 1.5 million till 2029; career ended 2013) though with July 1st coming up in Canada its also nice to salute a player from another sport (Bobby Bonilla), who gets 1.1 million July 1st until 2035. This from a guy who hasn't played since 2001. Another good deal from the NY Mutts!!!!!

[@devinator3377]

How about coach career videos? A few interesting ones can be made

[@davidkelly5585]

Good idea 👍

[@Mayor_Of_Eureka17]

Hell yeah!!

[@patch8376]

I think it's only fitting that you held out for a while before talking about Yashin again.

[@TruthofLove]

I would be pissed too if a rookie drafted the same year as I did got all the hype and the money. Would I go the same direction that Yashin did? No….but I understand his position

[@madhousemilitia82]

Not honoring contracts... Laughs in Ilya Kovalchuk.

[@jwolfenn]

I feel like Yashin never really got to play to his potential. Whether that's ego or distrust in ownership or whatever it seems like there was always something. I liked the guy, would have loved to see him on that 07 sens team but I was way happier with Spezza and Chara so maybe not

[@KevinJL]

Yasmin needs to announce the Sens 2022 draft pick

[@CharlieBravoTango]

Alexandre Daigle was not a bad player. Just plagued by the expectations of being first overall and possibly a bad agent that didn't bother managing expectations for his player and the team he played for

[@sp0rk806]

I know you like to do careers on folk heros, how about one on bryzgalov?

[@HugoStigglitzs]

Do Keith Tchachuk!

[@allananderson9410]

THG: I’m so glad we don’t see players who are signed to a contract not show up Rangers Fans: *Staring DAGGERS at Kravtsov*

[@aralornwolf3140]

Winnipeg Fans: *Staring DAGGERS at Dustin*

[@maverik094]

So Roman Hamrlik's next on the list?

[@carlbrutananadilewski1049]

Thank GOD Detroit didn't end up trading Stevie Y for Yashin in 96. Imagine how disastrous that would of been. 😬

[@ogreman-lll-957]

Didn’t the senators have a Yashin appreciation night?

[@RRaquello]

One of my least favorite players ever. He played for two teams I like, the Sens and Isles, and he stiffed them both. Very talented, but never showed up in the playoffs, and once he got paid, he quit trying. You wanted to like him because he seemed to be a very nice guy when he was interviewed, but when you watched him play you felt cheated because you felt all the guys who would love to have his talent, but he just let it go to waste.

[@MrOctober44]

I believe he's twelth in points per game in Isles history.

[@cad5968]

What happened in 93-94 so he could play 83 games? I don’t remember seasons being more than 82.

[@nathanjohnson2382]

That season and I think 92-93 were 84 game seasons.

[@mattblom3990]

Ahh, the Mercurial Mercenary.

[@klompsauce]

He was like the first player I wanted to be traded to Detroit

[@preppen78]

..because you're a Detroit fan or hater?

[@zach9848]

Can u do mike keane pls

[@jasonsmith5226]

I don't remember anybody questioning his talent. Attitude,grit,selfish teammate,a bit soft at times.... winning never seemed high on his list. And I'm saying from afar in Denver. He wasn't even in our conference,but not a chance I'd vote him to the HOF. That story bout him donating the million,but putting those ridiculous conditions on it...think that sums it up. Had phenomenal talent though...HOF talent,but a bit wasted talent/unrealized potential.

[@christhornycroft3686]

There are many talented players who have played in the NHL. You need more than that to be a star for a significant period of time. Yashin put up points, but nobody wanted to play with him. You can’t win as a team with a guy like that.

[@christhornycroft3686]

@@matthewdaley746 that’s fair. I was never a Shanahan fan either, but I knew friends of my mom who were, in a Tom Cruise in Top Gun kind of way.

[@marknilsson6808]

To whom it may concerrn.. Say what you what and think about Yashin but he's nowhere near the level of greed that the majority of young players possess today. Yashin had all the right to demand a higher Salary not to mention they kept overpaying Daigle let alone wouldn't allow him to become a Free agent and still scored 88p despite missing 1 full season

[@TheHockeyGuy]

He refused to play when he signed the contract. I get him being upset, but be a professional and play out your contract.

[@marknilsson6808]

@@TheHockeyGuy Didn't Mike Peca do the same thing?? And thanks for replying to my comment 😇

[@KodyCaron]

Whats the dead puck Era

[@NolanEgbert]

The dead puck era was a period of hockey history roughly between 1995-2004 when scoring around the league dramatically slowed thanks to a combination of new coaching systems like the neutral zone trap and improvements to goaltending techniques. The era would end after the lost 2004-05 season where the NHL would implement a myriad of new rule changes to encourage more scoring

[@aralornwolf3140]

@@NolanEgbert , You forgot the biggest problem two line passing. It wasn't allowed for players to pass the puck from their side of the blue line to a teammate on the other side of center... which inhibited speed, movement, and drastically slowed down the game... which permitted team to create the trap system and those who performed it the best more often than not won their games.

[@madpandahat]

My life is a joke that's about all I know.

[@sopowerabboy]

If Alexei Yashin played in today's game, he would be trashed like Ben Simmons.

[@RL-xz2xe]

Vitali Kravtsov, Lias Andersson…

[@BoyNamedSue4]

Why wouldn’t he just give the money directly to his parents? So weird

[@NolanEgbert]

Maybe for tax purposes?

[@BoyNamedSue4]

@@NolanEgbert maybe.

[@DBeau73]

Not sure his number will ever be retired in Ottawa. Seems like they would get fans here angry at the team for having such a cry baby remembered. It would be too much bad press for the team.

[@cristinastefechova2575]

Yashin was a great player but he hit NHL at time when they still underpay european players. And his buyout in islanders was a pure nonsense, he still produce on high level.

[@JohnnyDanger-th4ui]

Ottawa should burn his jersey to get rid of the bad luck

[@nicholasilluzzi1087]

Why hate Yashin when you can hate Milbury?

[@martinkealey03]

Jack Eichel = Alexei Yashin

[@clubkid13]

Yashin was good but not as good as Radek Bonk