COMBINED REPORTS


TORONTO -- Alexei Yashin's grievance against the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League has been dismissed, dashing the center's hopes to be declared a free agent.


Arbitrator George Nicolau ruled against the NHL Players' Association brief on Yashin's behalf and the 22-year-old Moscow native remains under contract to the Senators.


He has refused to play for Ottawa this season, and he set off a furor when he played four games for CSKA this fall, violating the International Ice Hockey Federation's agreement to honor NHL contracts.


"I don't want to play for the Ottawa Senators,'' he said. "It doesn't change my position, I don't want to play for the Senators, I don't want to play for their management. I think a trade would be the best way out for both sides."


Yashin was hoping to put himself in a position where he could accept any offer and make Ottawa decide whether to match it.


But there have been rumors that the Senators and Yashin's agent, Mark Gandler, were close to completing negotiations that would solve the contract impasse -- a settlement that had been delayed pending the arbitrator's ruling.


"I don't want to play for that team any time in my life but that might change,'' said Yashin.


Yashin, Ottawa's top pick, second overall, in the 1992 NHL draft, signed a $4.2 million, five-year contract in the spring of 1993. After, rookie Alexandre Daigle agreed to a higher-paying five-year deal. Yashin held out through training camp before the 1994-95 season.


"There's certainly no sense of victory," said Senators owner Rod Bryden after Tuesday's ruling. "All the agreement says is what we knew was the case when Alexei didn't show up at training camp, namely Alexei was breaching his contract." ()