![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
« Red Wings, CHAMPIONS 07-08 NHL season | Main | Wilson, Leafs new top dog »
The Dominator says goodbye
By TonyH | June 9, 2008
Dominik Hasek announces his goodbye to Red Wings, NHL
Dominik Hasek made it official this morning: He has played his last NHL game.
Hasek, 43, announced his retirement at a news conference at Joe Louis Arena. It is not the first time he has done so – he retired after winning the Stanley Cup in 2002 only to return a year later – but this time, there is little doubt his decision will stick.
“It’s time to say goodbye,” Hasek said. “Physically I am feeling great. I feel as well as I felt ever, but it’s all about motivation. I am glad I can make my decision and I just don’t feel today that I am ready to compete on the highest level, not because of physical things but because I need motivation.
“I had never regrets for first decision I made, and I don’t have any regrets for decision I am making today. I am maybe more happy this time.”
Hasek said he had made his decision “about 95%” when he was kissing the Cup last week, but wanted to take a few days to be sure. He told captain Nicklas Lidstrom about it Friday, and several other teammates during parties over the weekend.
“I asked him if he had thought it through,” Lidstrom said, “and he said yeah, he had been talking about it with his family for a few months. He was very happy with his decision. It’s tough to convince when he has been talking to his family and thinking about it for quite a while.”
Hasek was hobbled this past season by various injuries and struggled so much midway through the first round he was replaced by Chris Osgood.
Osgood, in turn, played so well in leading the Wings to the Stanley Cup last Wednesday that he has claimed the No. 1 job come next season. Hasek never has been about taking a back seat, and so, faced with the prospect of being a back-up, he opted to retire.
He will go down in hockey history as one of the most unconventional and greatest, goaltenders. Among his accomplishments he has won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and six Vezina trophies as the NHL’s top goaltender.
With Hasek gone, that opens up room for Jimmy Howard, the “goalie-of-the-future” to get his feet wet next season backing up Osgood.
General Manager Ken Holland said he may explore the option of finding a veteran goaltender to add to next year’s roster, in case of emergency. Holland expects Osgood to play around 50 games.
Many of Hasek’s teammates were at the news conference, including Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Chris Chelios, and Brian Rafalski.
Source: The Detroit Free Press
Dan Rosen NHL.com Staff Writer NHL.com Has a great story and a must read for anyone who every appreciated Dominik Hasek.
“I had an opportunity to play with some incredible players. I want to thank them for all the great work they did in front of me in helping me be more successful,” Hasek said. “It was John Muckler who gave me the chance to be the starting goaltender. I don’t think I disappointed him, but I can tell you for sure the success I had wouldn’t have come without John’s support and encouragement.”
After an injury-plagued 1999-2000 season, Hasek returned to form in 2000-01 and took home his sixth Vezina Trophy. The Sabres, though, were trying to trim some salary so they told Hasek they were going to trade him and asked where he wanted to go.
Detroit was one of the team’s of his choosing and GMs Darcy Regier and Holland struck a deal that gave the Sabres forward Vyacheslav Kozlov and the Red Wings first round pick in 2002 for Hasek.
“I received many individual awards (in Buffalo) and it came time to leave in 2001,” Hasek said. “It was the best decision in my professional life to choose Hockeytown.”
The trade turned into a steal as Hasek won a career-high 41 games against just 15 losses in his first season with the Red Wings. He posted a 1.86 GAA and six shutouts in the playoffs, helping the Wings win their third Stanley Cup since 1997.
Topics: NHL Legends, Player News, Red Wings |