DETROIT (AP) -- The Dominator is coming back to Hockeytown.

The Red Wings took care of their muddled goaltending situation Monday by signing 14-year veteran Dominik Hasek to a one-year contract.

Hasek, who helped the Wings to their last Stanley Cup title in 2002, is returning to Detroit after an injury-plagued season with the Ottawa Senators. He joins another Red Wings Cup-winner, Chris Osgood, who was brought back as a reserve.

After deciding not to bring back Manny Legace, following a strong regular season and poor postseason, the Red Wings made finding a No. 1 goalie their top priority.

Hasek, who will begin his third stint with Detroit, earned $1.5 million with the Senators last season. Ottawa said goodbye to the six-time Vezina Trophy winner earlier this month and replaced him with former Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Martin Gerber.




Detroit acquired Hasek the first time in 2001 in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, where he had been since 1992. He backstopped the Red Wings to the championship during his first season in Detroit and then retired that summer.

But Hasek came out of retirement to rejoin Detroit for the 2003-04 season, creating an uncomfortable goaltending triangle with Curtis Joseph and Legace. He played in just 14 games, going 8-3-2 with a 2.21 goals-against average, before a chronic groin injury ended his season.

Hasek, 41, has a career record of 324-206-82 in 638 NHL games. He ranks fifth among active goaltenders in wins and 18th overall. His 68 shutouts are third best among active players and 12th highest on the league's career list.

He went 28-10-4 with a 2.09 GAA last season with Ottawa, but he didn't play after injuring a groin while playing for the Czech Republic in the Turin Olympics. Hasek hoped to play during the postseason but never fully recovered.

Great news! I want STANLEY damnit!

dreamfactory313 said: