August 28, 1999
By Joanne Laucius
The Ottawa Citizen
A NHL fan association that calls itself a consumer group for hockey fans says a lawsuit against Senators captain Alexie Yashin will be at the top of its agenda when the group's local chapter holds its first meeting.
The NHL Fans' Association, which has about 10,000 members across North America, has about 500 local fans. Many of them are season ticket holders, said association co-founder Jim Boone.
Well-known local businessman Len Potechin has initiated a class-action lawsuit against Yashin, saying that his season tickets have been devalued while Yashin, who is still under contract, holds out for more money.
Already, Potechin and his lawyer, Arthur Cogan, have logged dozens of calls, e-mails and faxes from fans who want to pledge their support for the lawsuit. Requests for interviews have poured in from media outlets all over North America, and a trust fund is being set up for donations to cover the cost of the lawsuit. Cogan will ask the court for punitive damages of up to $5 million. However, if the court awards any money, it will all go to charity.
Boone said while it is too soon for him to say if the NHL Fans' Association members will support the lawsuit, he believes the vast majority are behind it.
The association decides on the issues it wants to pursue by polling its members. There is no charge to belong.
The group has already asked NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to put a cap on ticket prices, a move Boone predicts could put an end to skyrocketing player salaries.
Although the group has not polled its members on the lawsuit issue, Boone said few side with Yashin.
"Overwhelmingly, everyone agrees with the stance that he (Yashin) shouldn't be renegotiating his contract when it's still in effect," he said. "It's absolutely ridiculous."
He added that his group, founded in the spring of 1998, was created to be an "organized union" of fans to advocate for issues ranging from changing rules in the game to the escalating costs of purchasing a ticket to a game. Two similar groups for baseball fans sprang up in 1997 in the wake of the 1997 baseball strike.
The NHL Fans' Association will hold the inaugural meeting of the local chapter on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at Local Heroes on Bank Street.
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