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On second thought Hasek decides not to play in NHL All-Star Game
Posted: Thursday February 03, 2000 02:28 PM
EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- Dominik Hasek's groin injury will keep him out of Sunday's NHL All-Star Game. Hasek, the Buffalo Sabres' five-time Vezina Trophy winner, hoped to make his fifth straight All-Star appearance after returning from a 40-game absence in Tuesday's 2-2 tie with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. But his agent, Rich Winter, told an Edmonton radio station on Wednesday that his client has decided not to make the trip to Toronto. "He's a little sore today, as you might expect to be after your first game [back], but the main reason is that he doesn't want to risk aggravating the injury in a game that doesn't affect the standings," Winter told CHED Radio. "His primary focus is on helping the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs, and as exciting an honor as being voted to the All-Star team is, he really feels that going would be taking an unnecessary risk." Despite playing only nine games, Hasek was the top vote-getter among goaltenders on the World squad for the 50th All-Star Game, outdistancing Arturs Irbe of the Carolina Hurricanes and Roman Turek of the St. Louis Blues. While Tommy Salo of the Edmonton Oilers and Olaf Kolzig of the Washington Capitals were picked as backups, Hasek's decision should clear a roster spot for Turek, his Czech countryman. On Tuesday, Hasek made 29 saves in his first game in more than three months. "The Dominator" was his usual unorthodox self, twice charging out of the net to foil breakaways by All-Star Paul Kariya. Hasek reported no problems with the groin he tore in the third period of a 3-2 overtime win over Florida on October 29. "When I stretched, I didn't have any problem," he said. "I felt pretty good." But he admitted the true test would come the day after the game. Hasek is 1-4-2 with a 2.88 goals-against average in 10 games this season. In July, he announced in his native Czech Republic that he would retire after the current season, citing the need to spend more time with his family in his homeland. Hasek, who turned 35 in January, was sidelined from mid-February to March 19 last season with a persistent groin injury stemming from a slight hernia. However, he played the rest of the season and backstopped the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hasek is the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL at $9.25 million. He would have received another $9.25 million in 2000-01, the final season of a three-year, $26 million deal. He became the first goaltender to win back-to-back Hart Trophies as NHL most valuable player in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and has captured the Vezina Trophy each of the last three years. In 1998-99, Hasek was 30-18-14 with a 1.87 GAA and nine shutouts and again was a finalist for the Hart Trophy. Hasek has led the NHL in save percentage each of the last six seasons. He was 13-6 with a 1.77 GAA in the playoffs and led the Sabres to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1975. In 1996-97, Hasek became the first netminder in 35 years to capture the Hart Trophy. The following year, the 5-11, 168-pounder helped carry the underdog Czech Republic to the gold medal at the Nagano Olympics.
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