Lemieux A No-Show

The New Jersey Devils’ Claude Lemieux was due for his first medical test at 9:30 a.m. He didn’t show. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner never smiled for his yearbook photo, either, and though there was no team meeting or official skating session for Devils veterans, the right wing is considered AWOL.

“He is under contract and he was expected to be here today,” said Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello. The situation between the club and Lemieux is expected to go to an arbitrator. Lemieux and his former representative, Steve Freyer, agreed to a three-year, $3.5-million deal March 22, while Lemieux was in the midst of a six-goal regular season. Lemieux went on to score 13 goals in an MVP performance in the playoffs, and asked for and received a fourth year at $1.6 million.

On July 5, Lemieux ended his association with Freyer. Lemieux maintains his contract is void because he never signed an actual document, only a facsimile.

For the second straight year, the Ottawa Senators opened training camp without unhappy superstar Alexei Yashin. Yashin, the team’s top center, apparently refused to report to training camp in hopes of forcing either a trade or a renegotiation of his contract.