Hasek's Legacy
This time, I believe Dominik Hasek will stay retired, unlike his premature announcements in 1999 and 2002. And now is the proper time, I think, to evaluate Hasek's place in Sabres history.
Hasek had his fans in Buffalo and his detractors. His quirky personality led many to believe that he was uninterested in winning here. But make no mistake about it, Hasek was as competitive a professional athlete as I've ever seen. He wanted to win, he wanted to excel, and he was prepared to put in countless hours to improve his game.
Which is not to say he wasn't a handful. His long simmering feud with Ted Nolan, his battles with the local media, and his sometimes obtuse, inscrutable comments made it difficult for many fans to embrace Hasek. But he deserves his due.
You'd be hard pressed to name a professional athlete in Buffalo sports history who accomplished as much on an individual scale, as Hasek did during his tenure with the Sabres. You know the story--six Vezina trophies; two Hart trophies as NHL MVP; spectacular highlight reel saves; and the knowledge that every time Hasek lined up between the pipes, the Sabres had a chance to win.
He not only is the Sabres greatest goaltender, I'd rank him as the franchise second all-time greatest player. Only Gilbert Perreault ranks higher in my estimation, and mostly because Perreault helped establish the franchise right from the start. I think Perreault and Hasek are on the top tier, ahead of all-time Sabres greats like Rick Martin, Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine, Jim Schoenfeld, and others.
So get ready to see Hasek's Sabres jersey retired. I think he's earned it.
What are your thoughts on Hasek's place in Sabres history? Do you welcome his addition to the Sabres small roster of retired jersey numbers? The only numbers retired by the team are those of Tim Horon (2), Danny Gare (18), Pat LaFontaine
(16), Rick Martin (7), Gilbert Perreault (11), and Rene Robert (14).
Drop us a line and let us know what you think.
posted by John Murphy at
8:24 PM
3 Comments:
It's time to bury any animosity we feel towards Hasek. It's in the past, and the issues that caused the animosity were really irrelevant/small in the grand scheme of things.
He is by far the main reason we had the playoff success we had over that 4 year period...more success than the Drury/Briere group had. And he was an incredible goalie.
I hope I'm in the arena the night they retire his jersey number. I will absolutely applaud as loud as I can and salute a great hockey player.
He deserves it and the Sabres need to show him the respect he deserves. He has more than proven himself as a player and off the ice as well.
Hasek`s accomplishments speak for themselves. I cannot believe there would even be an issue with this. The man was absolutely incredible and carried us on his back for most of his time here. He was and an absolute treat to watch, and the very beat goaltender I have ever witnessed. Legros Gilbert is still #1 though!
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