Alexei Yashin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexei Yashin |
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Yashin with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2010
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| Born | 5 November 1973 Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 230 lb (104 kg; 16 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Avtomobilist Sverdlovsk Dynamo Moscow Ottawa Senators CSKA Moscow New York Islanders Lokomotiv Yaroslavl SKA Saint Petersburg |
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| National team |  Unified Team and Russia |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1992 Ottawa Senators |
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| Playing career | 1990–2012 | ||
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin (Russian: Алексей Валерьевич Яшин; born 5 November 1973) is a former professional ice hockey centre from Russia. He played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. He was even captain for both teams!
Alexei also played nine seasons in Russia's top leagues, the Russian Superleague (RSL) and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 2020, he was honored by being added to the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing Career: Alexei Yashin's Hockey Journey
Starting Strong: Ottawa Senators (1993–2001)
Alexei Yashin first became famous as the second player picked in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. This was a big deal because he was the very first draft pick for the new team, the Ottawa Senators. After playing one more season in Russia, Yashin joined the Senators for the 1993–94 NHL season.
He quickly became the team's brightest young star. In his first season, he scored 79 points and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the best rookie player.
Becoming a Star Player
In the years that followed, Yashin became a top player in the NHL. He helped Ottawa reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 1997. In the 1998 playoffs, he scored an important overtime goal. This goal helped the Senators win their first-ever playoff series.
Yashin was later named the team's captain. His best season was 1998–99, when he scored 94 points. He was also a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is given to the NHL's most valuable player. He was also named an NHL Second Team All-Star.
Challenges with the Team
Even though he was a star, Yashin faced some challenges with the Senators. There were disagreements about his contract. He wanted a new deal, which sometimes caused tension with the team.
In 1999, after a great season, Yashin decided not to play for the Senators. He wanted a new contract. The Senators did not trade him and instead made Daniel Alfredsson their new captain. Yashin was suspended by the league for not playing. After some time, he returned to the Senators for the 2000–01. Even though some fans were not happy, he still had a strong season. The Senators made the playoffs but lost early.
New Adventures: New York Islanders (2001–2007)
On draft day in 2001, Yashin was traded to the New York Islanders. The Senators received defenceman Zdeno Chára, forward Bill Muckalt, and a high draft pick, which they used to select Jason Spezza. The Islanders gave Yashin a very big contract.
After joining the Islanders, Yashin's scoring numbers went down. However, he helped his new team reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years during the 2001–02. The Islanders lost in the first round that year and in the next two seasons as well. Sometimes, people wondered about his effort because his scoring wasn't as high as expected for his large salary.
Captain and Team Changes
Before the 2005–06, the Islanders made many changes to their team. Yashin became the team captain. Some people thought the team was built around him, meaning their success depended on his performance. He played with high-scoring winger Miroslav Šatan, but their chemistry was not always consistent.
In 2006, Yashin injured his knee. He tried to play through it, but his performance was affected. The team decided to rest him until his knee was fully healthy. He returned in March 2007 and helped the Islanders make the playoffs. However, he didn't score any points in the playoff series. After the season, the Islanders decided to end his contract early.
Back to Russia (2007–2012)
After his time with the Islanders, Yashin's agent said he wanted to return to Ottawa. However, the Senators were not interested. Yashin then decided to go back to Russia. On 20 July 2007, he signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Russian Superleague (RSL).
In 2009, Yashin signed with SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He had a great season with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl before that, leading them in scoring during the regular season and playoffs. They even reached the final game of the Gagarin Cup, which is the KHL championship.
In 2011, there were talks about Yashin possibly returning to the New York Islanders. But they didn't agree on a deal. So, Yashin signed with CSKA Moscow for the 2011–12 season. After that season, Alexei Yashin retired from playing hockey.
Management Career: After Playing
In December 2012, Alexei Yashin was appointed as the general manager for the Russia women's national ice hockey team. This means he helped manage and guide the national women's hockey team.
International Play: Representing Russia
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Russia |
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| Winter Olympics | ||
| Silver | 1998 Nagano | |
| Bronze | 2002 Salt Lake City | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1993 Germany | |
| Bronze | 2005 Austria | |
| European Junior Championship | ||
| Silver | 1991 Czechoslovakia | |
Representing  CIS |
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| World Junior Championship | ||
| Gold | 1992 Germany | |
Alexei Yashin proudly represented his home country, Russia, in many international hockey tournaments. He played in the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and 2004. He also competed in the Winter Olympics three times: 1998, 2002, and 2006.
He won a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2002 Olympics. In 2020, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame for his amazing career.
Personal Life: Beyond the Rink
Alexei Yashin is not related to the famous Russian football goalkeeper Lev Yashin.
He was in a long-term relationship with actress and former model Carol Alt.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | Avtomobilist Sverdlovsk | USSR | 26 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Dynamo Moscow | USSR | 28 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Dynamo Moscow | RUS | 27 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 1993–94 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 83 | 30 | 49 | 79 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 24 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 47 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | CSKA Moscow | RUS | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 46 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2000–01 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 82 | 40 | 48 | 88 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Islanders | 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 | 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 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | KHL | 56 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 30 | 19 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | SKA Saint Petersburg | KHL | 56 | 18 | 46 | 64 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | SKA Saint Petersburg | KHL | 52 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 43 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 850 | 337 | 444 | 781 | 401 | 48 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 24 | ||||
| KHL totals | 207 | 63 | 101 | 164 | 136 | 30 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 10 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Soviet Union | EJC | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1992 | CIS | WJC | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1993 | Russia | WJC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1993 | Russia | WC | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 1994 | Russia | WC | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1996 | Russia | WC | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Russia | WCH | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1997 | Russia | WC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | |
| 1998 | Russia | OLY | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1999 | Russia | WC | 6 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2000 | Russia | WC | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2001 | Russia | WC | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2002 | Russia | OLY | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2004 | Russia | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Russia | WCH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Russia | WC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Russia | OLY | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 16 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 | |||
| Senior totals | 88 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 73 | |||
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| IIHF Hall of Fame | 2020 | |
| NHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 1994, 1999, 2002 | |
| Second All-Star Team | 1999 | |
| KHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2009, 2010, 2011 | |
Images for kids
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Alexei Yashin playing for the Islanders.
See Also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
