Ex-Thunder Yashin can’t play for Russia in World

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 10:21 a.m.

Suspended Ottawa Senators and former Las Vegas Thunder center Alexei Yashin will not be eligible to play for the Russian team in the World Hockey Championships this month.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said an agreement between the league and International Ice Hockey Federation prohibits suspended NHL players from playing in the championships.

Yashin, who is in Russia practicing with the national team, said he planned to play in the world tournament if the Senators were eliminated in the early rounds of the NHL playoffs.

Yashin appeared to be under the impression that when the Senators' season was over, the suspension prohibiting him to play elsewhere would be nullified.

He was suspended last fall after refusing to report to the team unless his contract was renegotiated. Yashin, who would have earned $3.6 million this season in the final year of a four-year contract, was seeking about $10 million to $12 million annually.

"The IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) agreement supports the enforcement of suspension by the NHL," Brown told the Ottawa Citizen.

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