The Sports Beat
By Sweena Rai
Forgive me hockey fans, for I am a sinner. I am Canadian, yet I am not a zealous hockey connoisseur. I cannot rattle off hockey stats and I don’t program my VCR to record the playoffs. But when one Ottawa Senators’ player made front page news for giving $1 million to the National Arts Centre, the world of hockey caught my interest.
On or off the ice, 24-year-old Alexei Yashin is the centre of attention and that’s where he should be — not because of his good looks, but because of his generosity and talent as a great hockey player.
In a day and age when most athletes are more concerned about how much money they’re earning than about playing for the love of the sport, it’s refreshing to see a young athlete parting with his millions rather than hoarding them.
Yashin’s $1-million contribution to the NAC last month was unbelievable. True, he’s in his second year of a four-year contract worth $18 million, but that doesn’t diminish the size of his donation — the largest gift the NAC has received from a single person.
Even more impressive is that Yashin’s money comes with no strings attached. The Russian player doesn’t want the centre to be emblazoned with his family name or to star in a performance.
Yashin wants the money to be used to increase youth programming, bring more Russian artists and dance companies to the NAC and make patrons happy.
And the buck doesn’t stop there.
When hockey commentator Don Cherry’s wife died, Yashin made a sizable donation to the Cherry family’s chosen charity. He also gave money to help support the family of a Detroit Red Wings’ trainer when the trainer was involved in a car accident last summer with some Detroit players.
Need more proof of his greatness?
Yashin didn’t even try to make a fast buck on an autograph session held at the Rideau Centre a couple of weeks ago.
Athletes can charge thousands of dollars for an appearance like the one Yashin made, but he didn’t receive one cent for his time.
Here’s a guy who plays hard for the fans and earns his paycheque. Yashin led the Senators in goals and points last season, and this year he’s one of the NHL’s top 20 scorers.
In the competitive world of hockey, Yashin is proving, more and more, he’s definitely one-in-a-million.