Dominik Hasek

Although Hasek won the Hart Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the NHL in 1997 and 1998, his talent alone was not enough to take the Sabres past the playoffs to the Stanley Cup finals. Tensions between Hasek and the team's management fueled intense media speculation about his future with the Sabres, particularly after he was sidelined with an injury during the 1997 playoffs and then criticized for spending time with a Czech friend who played for an opposing team. Hasek found it ridiculous that he would be accused of sharing his team's secrets or faking an injury, as Buffalo News writer Jim Kelley alleged. After Hasek assaulted Kelley at the Buffalo Auditorium over the article, he was suspended by the NHL; the suspension coincided with his recovery period.

Despite his problems with the Sabres, Hasek was widely admired for his leadership of the Czech national hockey team at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. After making its way through a hard-fought semi-final match with Canada, the Czechs defeated the Russians in the final by one goal and took the Gold Medal. The win confirmed Hasek's status as a national hero in the Czech Republic and enhanced his reputation as a pressure player in the NHL. When he suffered another injury in the 1999-2000 season, however, there was further speculation that Hasek might retire from the NHL.

Hasek returned to the Sabres for a ninth season but surprised many observers by signing a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2001-02 season. It was clear that Hasek's decision was motivated by one factor: the desire to win the Stanley Cup. Since the mid-1990s the Red Wings had been perpetual contenders for the championship, and Coach Scotty Bowman was convinced that the addition of the Dominator to the lineup would ensure another win in 2002. Bowman was right; after compiling the best record in the league, the Red Wings took the Stanley Cup over the Carolina Hurricanes in the finals.

Already one of the most award-winning players in NHL history, Hasek could finally retire with a Stanley Cup victory added to his list of accomplishments. Although he was offered an estimated $8-$10 million to play for the Detroit Red Wings for the 2002-03 season, Hasek declined the offer. "Money wasn't an issue," Hasek said in a USA Today profile in June 2002 shortly after making the decision, "I worked so hard last year, and I'm just not sure I can compete at the level I expect from myself." Hasek did not announce any plans to remain active in the sport as a player, although coaching remained a possibility.

After Hasek declined to renew his contract with the Red Wings, he moved back to the Czech Republic with his wife and two children. Hasek's post-athletic career focused on his Dominator Clothing line of sportswear, which he had established a couple of years before. Hasek also used his celebrity for philanthropic ends. On a tour of the Czech Republic with the Stanley Cup in August 2002, Hasek raised money to assist victims who were devastated by major floods.

A hero in his homeland for his gold-medal performance in the 1998 Olympics, Hasek could also take satisfaction in the respect he had earned from his NHL colleagues as one of the best goaltenders in the history of the sport. Part of the first great wave of NHL players from Europe to make a significant impact on the sport in the 1990s, Hasek also helped to broaden the appeal of the league beyond North America.