Quinn likes Russian but he demanded `outrageous' contract

Dmitry Yushkevich told The Star Tuesday that his No. 1 choice would be to return to the Leafs when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. Toronto general manager Pat Quinn yesterday sounded open to the idea, even though Yushkevich took a few shots at the organization after he was traded to Florida for Robert Svehla.

Quinn said it was Yushkevich's contract demands that forced the deal. His agent, Mark Gandler, reportedly wanted the same money that unrestricted free agent Darius Kasparaitis signed for in New York, which was $25 million (U.S.) over six seasons.

"I admired Dimitry a great deal,'' said Quinn yesterday. "The simple fact is it was his agent's request for a new contract that had us look elsewhere. That's all it was. The request was, to me, so outrageous that you move along."

sun-sentinel

Yushkevich, who has three points and a minus-four in four games, has played poorly in three games and cost the Panthers four goals because of bad passes or positioning.

Keenan saw enough Thursday and benched him for much of the second period. He played 13 minutes, a dramatic difference from the 29 minutes he played in each of the first two games.

Yushkevich, who missed most of the second half of last season due to a blood clot behind his knee, said, "I will continue to work hard and get better. If I only play one shift a game, I'm going to work as hard as I can that one shift. I can only control what I can control."

Keenan expects improvement, saying, "I played him a lot early on, which I did to help him find his game. But it's a fine line. At some point you have to give his ice time to somebody else."

Bure has just one assist in four games.

"It's nice to say he's a 30-goal scorer, but he hasn't scored 30-plus goals for over two years and is coming off a bad season in terms of injuries," Keenan said. "We need him better."

Rookies meet

Tonight will be the first time that Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets' heralded rookie and first pick in June's Draft, faces Jay Bouwmeester, the Panthers' rookie and third pick.

"It's going to be a lot of fun playing against him," Nash said. "You don't get to play against buddies every night. To know someone to play against in the NHL will be pretty exciting. I'm happy to hear he's doing well. He's a great kid, and he deserves whatever he gets."

Bouwmeester and Nash played in different leagues in junior, but they became friendly playing in All-Star Games and for Canada's world junior team.

"More importantly, we have to try to get something going as far as wins," Bouwmeester said.

Penalty woes

After Chicago received 13 power plays Thursday, Keenan said the Panthers will likely get more of the same from referees.

"We have no presence on this team, so we're not going to get any leniency whatsoever from officiating for the entire year," Keenan said. "I've been around long enough to know that unless you got a presence on your team, you won't get any breaks from the officiating."

Some of the Panthers weren't happy with the calls.

"It felt like we were playing in the NBA," Yushkevich said. "You touched a guy and went into the penalty box. That's not the way to play hockey. Usually, hockey is a sport for a man, but this is just ridiculous."

Posted on Thu, Oct. 24, 2002 
Yushkevich gets serious audience in Toronto

BY DAVID J. NEAL

TORONTO - Dmitry Yushkevich got a small reminder of how seriously hockey is taken in the self-perceived Centre of the Universe.

Not only was there an entire offensive line of cameras awaiting him at his locker after the morning skate, but the first question was about his joke that Toronto coach Pat Quinn should wear a helmet on the bench Wednesday. Quinn was asked about the comment Tuesday as if Yushkevich had been serious.

''It was a joke. It wasn't supposed to be in the newspaper,'' Yushkevich said. ``I respect Pat a lot.''

Yushkevich said he agreed with Panthers coach Mike Keenan benching him last week because it followed the simple logic that those not playing well shouldn't play much.

He admitted to having trouble finding his way in the game created by this year's obstruction crackdown.

''When I left hockey, it was different,'' Yushkevich said. ``It's much faster now with the [obstruction] rules. I'm getting there.''

Or not. Seventeen seconds into the game, Yushkevich was caught holding up Toronto's Darcy Tucker.

Posted on Wed, Oct. 23, 2002 
Yushkevich rips his former team

Ex-Maple Leaf wants redemption

BY DAVID J. NEAL

TORONTO - Dmitry Yushkevich's two best shots this year were his lone goal, a high short-side wrister off the post against Atlanta on Oct. 12, and his parting comment about Toronto.

''The most honest person in the [Maple Leafs] organization is Carlton the Bear because he never says anything,'' the defenseman said.

Yushkevich gets his shot at revenge tonight when the Panthers face the Leafs at Air Canada Centre. He didn't want to leave the Leafs, but Toronto figured its options were better elsewhere.

The Panthers were standing in the midst of a collapsed negotiation with Robert Svehla. Both teams recognized swapping problems would be a beneficial move.

Getting a little payback on the Leafs, however, would require more consistency than Yushkevich has shown so far.

He was a minus three, on the ice for all three Tampa Bay goals that brought the Lightning a comeback win opening night and was directly responsible for two. He was a plus one against Atlanta in the second game of the season and picked up that goal. But he recorded a minus two against Minnesota, which forced him to the bench briefly, and was benched for much of the loss to Chicago.

''I played him a lot early on, which I did to help him find his game,'' Panthers coach Mike Keenan said after playing Yushkevich only 13:11 against Chicago. ``But, it's a fine line. At some point, you have to give his ice time to somebody else.''

Those words might have more weight if Branislav Mezei, the Panthers' best defenseman late in training camp and over the first two regular-season games, was healthy. Instead, with a limited number of folks to take the ice time, Keenan proceeded to play Yushkevich 28:27 and 28:28 each of the next two games.

Then again, as Yushkevich says, he's lucky to be playing hockey at all after the February blood clot that took him out of the last 27 games of the 2001-02 season.

''I will continue to work hard and get better,'' he said. ``If I play one shift a game, I'm going to work as hard as I can that one shift. I can only control what I can control.''