Dominik Hašek (born January 29, 1965) is a
professional ice hockey goaltender for the Detroit
Red Wings of the National Hockey League. In his
18-season NHL career, he has also played for the
Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, and the Ottawa
Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one
of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the
nickname "The Dominator." His strong play has been
credited with establishing European goaltenders in a
league widely dominated by North Americans.
Hašek has been one of the league's most successful
goaltenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. From 1993
to 2001, he won six Vezina Trophies, and in 1998 he
became the first goaltender to win consecutive Hart
Trophies. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano,
Japan, he led the Czech national ice hockey team to
its first and only Olympic gold medal. The feat made
him a popular figure in his home country and
prompted hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to call him
"the best player in the game." While with the Red
Wings in 2002, Hašek became the first European
starting goaltender to win the Stanley Cup. In the
process, he set a record for shutouts in a
postseason year. He came in second in votes for the
Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
Hašek is considered an unorthodox goaltender, with a
distinct style that has labeled him a "flopper." He
is best known for his concentration, foot speed,
flexibility, and unconventional saves, such as
covering the puck with his blocker rather than his
trapper.
Hašek is regarded as a future Hall of Famer by those
in the hockey world. He is the oldest active goalie
in the NHL at 43, and the second oldest active
player in the league after Red Wings teammate Chris
Chelios, who is 46.
