Inside Hasek: More Than Meets The Eye

[WingedWheelin06 0]

I found an interesting article on Hasek on NHL.com

Highlights of the Article:

Calling it Quits?:

- "After what happened in Ottawa, I told my wife, 'That's it (career over),' " Hasek told me after a game-day skate in early March. "When I got a call from the Red Wings, I couldn't believe how excited I was. I didn't finish 2004 and I didn't expect a call."

More Than a Goalie:

- Hasek is a simple man with a not-so-simple job. He’ll do anything he can to stop the puck. But off the ice, he’s a learned man. Hasek possesses the equivalent of a master's degree in history from the University of Hradec Kralove, is an accredited high school teacher in the Czech Republic and a voracious reader of books on history and art. Hasek's competitiveness is legendary. He was a midfielder in soccer and a junior tennis champion in Eastern Bohemia. He plays soccer, tennis and squash in the summer.

On Playing for the Wings a 2nd Time:

- "One thing I'll never forget was Dom coming into my office in early January 2004 and telling me, ‘Ken, I’m not here for the money ($8 million a season at the time). If I can’t play, don’t pay me another cent.’ At that point, Holland knew more about "THE MAN" than ever. He smile widely while he was telling this story. "I’ll never forget that he won a Stanley Cup for us," Holland continued. "But more important, he was a man of his word with me when he got hurt in 2003-04 and he walked away from $3 million. How many people would walk away from $3 million?"

His Current Work Ethic:

"I'm proud of what I've done in this game with the Stanley Cup and trophies and gold medals," Hasek said. "But you don't prepare for the next season by living in the past. You come here to try to do everything to win again. I would never, ever come back just to play the game. I want to come back to be the best and be the winning goalie at the end of the season."

for the full article, here is the link: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&a...rticleid=298741

I don't think Hasek is as bad of a guy as some of the media has made him out to be.

[Guest Don Corleone]

Wonder why they didn't ask him about that assault charge in the Czech Republic?

[Kp-Wings 3]

Wonder why they didn't ask him about that assault charge in the Czech Republic?

Thank you for yet another brillant rebuttal.

[Shanny14fan4ever 0]

I love Dom, I hope he comes back next year!

[puckloo39 5,686]

Wonder why they didn't ask him about that assault charge in the Czech Republic?

you're a genius. Why don't you do some reading and find out what actually happened? If it hadn't been Hasek involved, it would never have seen the light of day. Two separate investigations came to the same conclusion: no basis for charges.

[Wings_Rule_1010 4]

. Hasek possesses the equivalent of a master's degree in history from the University of Hradec Kralove, is an accredited high school teacher in the Czech Republic and a voracious reader of books on history and art.

Wow, Hasek seems like a very intelligent guy.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Wow, Hasek seems like a very intelligent guy.

He's the equivalent of a chess grand master, as well, plays annually in the Czech Open Chess tournament in Prague. They used to call Igor Larionov, "the Professor." I think the real one - absent minded and all - is Hasek.

I read in an article years ago in Buffalo that his mother said, "You're too smart to play hockey!" Dom didn't listen. Mother doesn't always know best.