Hasek refuses to accept his salary while injured
DETROIT - Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek refused to accept about $3 million of his salary for a simple reason.
"I didn't feel that I could play," he said Saturday.
Hasek spoke before Detroit played Dallas, one day after general manager Ken Holland said Hasek had forfeited the remainder of his salary because he is out with a groin injury.
Hasek, who announced Feb. 10 that he would miss the rest of the season, has not accepted pay since Jan. 9, Holland said Friday. That was the day Hasek and the team agreed the goaltender should rest the injured groin for two to four weeks.
Hasek tested out the groin in early February, but later said he no longer could play this season. The nagging injury limited him to just 14 games after he came out of a one-year retirement. Hasek was 8-3-2 for the Central Division-leading Red Wings this season.
By Jan. 9, Hasek had received a little more than $3 million of his $6 million salary for the season.
"I came to Detroit, and I felt that I could play at the highest level. And I wasn't able to do it," Hasek said.
The goaltender said he would decide in the next few weeks whether to undergo surgery.
"My goal is to come back and play hockey," he said. "I don't want to have surgery, but if two doctors say yes, then I will."
Hasek said he did not intend to make public his refusal to accept his salary and spoke only after Holland discussed the issue with reporters.
One of the NHL's greatest goalies, Hasek won two MVP awards and six Vezina Trophies, given to the league's top goalie, during a nine-year stint in Buffalo. He also led the Czech Republic to a gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Hasek joined the Red Wings before the 2001-02 season, winning his first Stanley Cup that season. He retired in 2002, but came back to Detroit before this season.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040313/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_red_wings_hasek
DETROIT - Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek refused to accept about $3 million of his salary for a simple reason.
"I didn't feel that I could play," he said Saturday.
Hasek spoke before Detroit played Dallas, one day after general manager Ken Holland said Hasek had forfeited the remainder of his salary because he is out with a groin injury.
Hasek, who announced Feb. 10 that he would miss the rest of the season, has not accepted pay since Jan. 9, Holland said Friday. That was the day Hasek and the team agreed the goaltender should rest the injured groin for two to four weeks.
Hasek tested out the groin in early February, but later said he no longer could play this season. The nagging injury limited him to just 14 games after he came out of a one-year retirement. Hasek was 8-3-2 for the Central Division-leading Red Wings this season.
By Jan. 9, Hasek had received a little more than $3 million of his $6 million salary for the season.
"I came to Detroit, and I felt that I could play at the highest level. And I wasn't able to do it," Hasek said.
The goaltender said he would decide in the next few weeks whether to undergo surgery.
"My goal is to come back and play hockey," he said. "I don't want to have surgery, but if two doctors say yes, then I will."
Hasek said he did not intend to make public his refusal to accept his salary and spoke only after Holland discussed the issue with reporters.
One of the NHL's greatest goalies, Hasek won two MVP awards and six Vezina Trophies, given to the league's top goalie, during a nine-year stint in Buffalo. He also led the Czech Republic to a gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Hasek joined the Red Wings before the 2001-02 season, winning his first Stanley Cup that season. He retired in 2002, but came back to Detroit before this season.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040313/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_red_wings_hasek
