SafekipediaDominik Hašek
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Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek, born on 29 January 1965, is a Czech former ice hockey player. He played as a goaltender for 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Many people think he is the greatest goaltender ever.
Hašek spent most of his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres. He was called "The Dominator" because of his great skills.
During his NHL time, Hašek played for other teams too. These teams included the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. He ended his career playing in Europe. He won two Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings.
Hašek had a special way of playing. He was known for being very focused, moving quickly, and being very flexible. He set many records, including the highest NHL career save percentage. After he retired, he played in Europe again and then retired for good. He was later honored by being put into the Hockey Hall of Fame and other halls of fame.
Early life
Dominik Hašek was born as Dominik Kaštánek to Alois and Marie. When he was two, his parents divorced, and Marie married Jan Hašek, who adopted him. Hašek began playing hockey at age six in his hometown in Czechoslovakia. He joined the top hockey league in the country, the Czechoslovak Extraliga, with his hometown team, HC Pardubice, at age 16, becoming the youngest player ever in the league. He helped the team win two league titles in 1987 and 1989.
Later, Hašek played for the Czechoslovak national team and participated in the 1988 Winter Olympics. He was eventually drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL, though this happened late because many teams were unsure about drafting players from behind the Iron Curtain. His NHL career started with the Indianapolis Ice in the International Hockey League before he made his debut with the Blackhawks in the 1990–91 season.
NHL career
Chicago Blackhawks (1990–1992)
In Chicago, Hašek was the backup to Ed Belfour. Belfour became a star quickly, winning awards after the 1990-91 season. Hašek only played 25 games over two seasons, splitting time between the Blackhawks and another team. He made his first appearance in the NHL in November 1990 and got his first win in March 1991. In January 1992, he recorded his first shutout.
Buffalo Sabres (1992–2001)
Hašek was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1992. He started as a backup but became the main player when the starter got injured. In 1994, he won his first major award and had a very successful season. He kept winning awards and was one of the best players in the league.
In the 1996-97 season, Hašek had a disagreement with the coach, which caused some problems. Despite this, he kept playing well and won more awards. In the 1997-98 season, he set a team record and won several awards again.
First tenure with the Detroit Red Wings (2001–2002; 2003–2004)
Hašek was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 2001. In his first season with Detroit, he helped the team win the Stanley Cup. He announced his retirement after that season but decided to play again the next year. However, he injured himself and didn’t play much during the 2003-04 season.
Ottawa Senators (2005–2006)
Hašek joined the Ottawa Senators for the 2005-06 season. He played well until he got injured during the Winter Olympics and missed the rest of the season.
Return to and second tenure with the Red Wings (2006–2008)
Hašek returned to the Detroit Red Wings in 2006. He helped the team reach the top seed and played well in the playoffs. In the 2007-08 season, he shared playing time with another goalie but was the starter for the playoffs. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup that year, and Hašek retired after the season.
Final years in Europe and retirement
In April 2009, Hašek returned to play for HC Moeller Pardubice, the team where he started. That season, he helped his team win the Czech league title. Hašek had three shutouts in the playoffs, including one in the finals. His team lost only one game before winning 12 in a row.
The next season, Hašek signed with HC Spartak Moscow. Later, he thought about playing for Piráti Chomutov or returning to the NHL, but the season was delayed. He announced his retirement on 9 October 2012.
The Buffalo Sabres retired Hašek's #39 jersey in 2015. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
International play
1998 Winter Olympics
Dominik Hašek played very well in the 1998 Winter Olympics, the first time NHL players could join. He led the Czech national team to win the gold medal. Hašek let in only six goals in the whole tournament, and just two were in the games that decided winners.
In a big game against Team USA, Hašek let in only one goal, helping his team win 4-1. In the semifinals against Team Canada, he stopped many shots and the game went to extra time. Hašek then stopped all five Canadian players in a sudden-death contest, helping the Czech team win. For this, he was called the best player in the tournament by Wayne Gretzky. In the final game, Hašek stopped all shots and helped the Czech team beat the Russian team 1–0. He was named the best goalie of the Olympics.
2006 Winter Olympics
In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Hašek left his equipment behind by accident, so he missed some practices. In the first game, he hurt his right adductor muscle early and had to leave. Even without him, the Czech team won a bronze medal, which Hašek also received. Because of his injury, he missed the rest of the NHL season with the Ottawa Senators.
Style of play
Dominik Hašek played ice hockey in a very unique way. He was very flexible and moved in unusual ways to block the puck, which made him fun to watch. Fans loved seeing him play. His special moves even had names, like the "Hašek roll". Hašek also stayed very fit to keep his flexibility. He wore an older style of helmet and face protection compared to many of his teammates.
Personal life
Dominik Hašek and his former wife Alena have a son named Michael and a daughter named Dominika. Dominika is the lead singer of the electro-pop band We Are Domi, which represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. Hašek announced his divorce in November 2012 after 23 years of marriage. He enjoys playing squash and inline hockey in his free time. When he was younger, Hašek played competitive football and was a junior tennis champion in Eastern Bohemia. His brother Martin is also a competitive athlete and played for the Czech Republic football team AC Sparta Prague before retiring to become a coach. Hašek is a big fan of professional wrestling, especially wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Don "The Rock" Muraco.
Hašek stood out among Czech sportsmen because of his formal education. He earned a university degree in history and the Czech language. He also had a brand of sportswear named Dominator Clothing, which launched in 1998 but stopped in 2008 because sales were low. In 2001, Hašek started the Dominik Hašek Youth Hockey League to help underprivileged children in Buffalo play hockey, and he donated over $1 million for this cause. He also organized a charity hockey game in Prague in 1998, with the profits going to hospitals in the Czech Republic.
Hašek liked to keep team spirits up with humor and often joked about looking like Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld. In the late 1990s, he was in a MasterCard commercial that praised his flexibility. In 2006, a comic panel featured a comic about Hašek's childhood. Throughout his career, he was represented by agent Ritch Winter.
Politics
After retiring from hockey, Hašek became interested in politics. He considered running for president of the Czech Republic in 2023 and 2028. In 2019, he spoke at a rally against Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Hašek supported Petr Pavel in the 2023 Czech presidential election. In 2024, he ran for the Czech Senate but did not win.
Hašek criticized American President Donald Trump, calling him unpredictable. In 2020, after Trump made comments about a Buffalo man injured by police, Hašek called Trump's words offensive. Hašek endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election against Trump. After Trump took office, Hašek criticized his administration's stance towards Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
In August 2025, Hašek spoke at a rally to protest political polarization and warn against foreign interference in the 2025 Czech parliamentary election.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hašek called for the NHL and Olympics to ban Russians who did not speak out against the war. When the Sabres played in Prague in 2024, Hašek did not attend to protest the league's inaction. He visited Ukrainian cities like Irpin and Bucha after they were freed from Russian occupation. His strong views on the war caused tension with other hockey players.
In 2025, when Alexander Ovechkin broke the NHL goal-scoring record, Hašek criticized Ovechkin for not condemning the Russian war in Ukraine. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Hašek of harsh comments and made threatening remarks, which Hašek reported to international sports organizations.
After Trump and Putin discussed organizing a game between retired NHL and KHL players, Hašek refused to participate unless certain conditions were met.
Inline hockey game incident
During an inline hockey game in 2003, Hašek was accused of assaulting another player. The prosecutor decided there was no evidence of intent to harm and recommended the case be treated as a minor offense punishable by a small fine. Later, the country's top prosecutor overruled this decision, but after a second investigation, the same conclusion was reached.
Legacy
Dominik Hašek earned a big achievement when he got his 300th win in the National Hockey League on October 15, 2005, playing for the Ottawa Senators. He stopped almost every shot in that game.
While he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Hašek set many team records, like the most games played and the most wins. He also set records with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. Hašek is high up in NHL records, such as having the best career save percentage and many shutouts.
One of Hašek’s most amazing games was on April 27, 1994. He made 70 saves in a game that went through four extra periods, helping his team win 1–0. This record for the most saves in a shutout game is still standing today.
Hašek has inspired other players, with Petr Čech naming him one of his major sporting idols.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1980–81 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 9 | — | — | — | — | 598 | 24 | — | 2.98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 12 | — | — | — | — | 661 | 34 | — | 3.09 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 42 | — | — | — | — | 2,358 | 105 | — | 2.67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 40 | — | — | — | — | 2,304 | 108 | — | 2.81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 42 | — | — | — | — | 2,419 | 131 | — | 3.25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 45 | — | — | — | — | 2,689 | 138 | — | 3.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 43 | — | — | — | — | 2,515 | 103 | — | 2.46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 31 | — | — | — | — | 1,862 | 93 | — | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | HC Pardubice | CSSR | 42 | — | — | — | — | 2,507 | 114 | — | 2.73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Dukla Jihlava | CSSR | 40 | — | — | — | — | 2,251 | 80 | — | 2.13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Indianapolis Ice | IHL | 33 | 20 | 11 | 1 | — | 1,903 | 80 | 5 | 2.46 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 3 | — | 3.00 | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — | 195 | 8 | 0 | 2.46 | .914 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 2.60 | .923 | ||
| 1991–92 | Indianapolis Ice | IHL | 20 | 7 | 10 | 3 | — | 1,162 | 69 | 1 | 3.56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 20 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | 1,014 | 44 | 1 | 2.60 | .893 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 158 | 8 | 0 | 3.03 | .886 | ||
| 1992–93 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 28 | 11 | 10 | 4 | — | 1,429 | 75 | 0 | 3.15 | .896 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 1.33 | .958 | ||
| 1993–94 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 58 | 30 | 20 | 6 | — | 3,358 | 109 | 7 | 1.95 | .930 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 484 | 13 | 2 | 1.61 | .950 | ||
| 1994–95 | HC Pardubice | CZE | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 41 | 19 | 14 | 7 | — | 2,416 | 85 | 5 | 2.11 | .930 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 309 | 18 | 0 | 3.49 | .863 | ||
| 1995–96 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 59 | 22 | 30 | 6 | — | 3,417 | 161 | 2 | 2.83 | .920 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 67 | 37 | 20 | 10 | — | 4,037 | 153 | 5 | 2.27 | .930 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 153 | 5 | 0 | 1.96 | .926 | ||
| 1997–98 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 72 | 33 | 23 | 13 | — | 4,220 | 147 | 13 | 2.09 | .932 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 948 | 32 | 1 | 2.02 | .938 | ||
| 1998–99 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 64 | 30 | 18 | 14 | — | 3,817 | 119 | 9 | 1.87 | .937 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1,217 | 36 | 2 | 1.77 | .939 | ||
| 1999–00 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 35 | 15 | 11 | 6 | — | 2,066 | 76 | 3 | 2.21 | .919 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 301 | 12 | 0 | 2.39 | .918 | ||
| 2000–01 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 67 | 37 | 24 | 4 | — | 3,904 | 137 | 11 | 2.11 | .921 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 833 | 29 | 1 | 2.08 | .916 | ||
| 2001–02 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 65 | 41 | 15 | 8 | — | 3,872 | 140 | 5 | 2.17 | .915 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 1,455 | 45 | 6 | 1.85 | .920 | ||
| 2003–04 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 14 | 8 | 3 | 2 | — | 817 | 30 | 2 | 2.20 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 43 | 28 | 10 | — | 4 | 2,584 | 90 | 5 | 2.09 | .925 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 56 | 38 | 11 | — | 6 | 3,341 | 114 | 8 | 2.05 | .913 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1,140 | 34 | 2 | 1.79 | .923 | ||
| 2007–08 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 41 | 27 | 10 | — | 3 | 2,350 | 84 | 5 | 2.14 | .902 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 202 | 10 | 0 | 2.91 | .888 | ||
| 2009–10 | HC Pardubice | CZE | 36 | 24 | 12 | 0 | — | 2,066 | 77 | 3 | 2.24 | .921 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 785 | 22 | 3 | 1.68 | .937 | ||
| 2010–11 | HC Spartak Moscow | KHL | 44 | 23 | 18 | 3 | — | 2,591 | 106 | 7 | 2.45 | .915 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 204 | 14 | 0 | 4.12 | .864 | ||
| CSSR/CZE totals | 353 | — | — | — | — | 20,487 | 944 | — | 2.76 | — | 13 | 12 | 1 | 785 | 22 | 3 | 1.68 | .937 | ||||
| NHL totals | 735 | 389 | 223 | 82 | 13 | 42,836 | 1,572 | 81 | 2.20 | .922 | 119 | 65 | 49 | 7,317 | 246 | 14 | 2.02 | .925 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Czechoslovakia | EJC | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.00 | — | |
| 1983 | Czechoslovakia | WJC | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.33 | — | |
| 1983 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 5 | 1 | 2.50 | — | |
| 1984 | Czechoslovakia | CC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 188 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | — | |
| 1984 | Czechoslovakia | WJC | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 380 | 10 | 0 | 1.89 | — | |
| 1986 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 538 | 19 | 0 | 2.12 | — | |
| 1987 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 520 | 19 | 1 | 2.19 | — | |
| 1987 | Czechoslovakia | CC | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 360 | 20 | 0 | 3.33 | — | |
| 1988 | Czechoslovakia | OLY | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 217 | 18 | 0 | 4.98 | — | |
| 1989 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 600 | 21 | 2 | 2.10 | — | |
| 1990 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 480 | 20 | 1 | 2.50 | — | |
| 1991 | Czechoslovakia | CC | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 300 | 18 | 0 | 3.60 | — | |
| 1998 | Czech Republic | OLY | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 369 | 6 | 2 | 0.97 | .961 | |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | OLY | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 239 | 8 | 0 | 2.01 | .924 | |
| 2006 | Czech Republic | OLY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | |
| Junior totals | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.16 | — | |||
| Senior totals | 69 | 32 | 28 | 8 | 3940 | 166 | 7 | 2.40 | — | |||
| Sources: | ||||||||||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| NHL | |
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 1992 |
| William M. Jennings Trophy | 1994, 2001, 2008 |
| Vezina Trophy | 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 |
| NHL First All-Star Team | 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | 1997, 1998 |
| Lester B. Pearson Award | 1997, 1998 |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2002, 2008 |
| One of 100 Greatest NHL Players | 2017 |
| Czechoslovakia / Czech | |
| Czechoslovak First League Best Goaltender | 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 |
| Golden Hockey Stick | 1987, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998 |
| Czech Sportsperson of the Year | 1994, 1998 and 2001 |
| Czech Hockey Player of the 20th century | 1998 |
| Czech Extraliga champion | 2010 |
| International | |
| EJC Best Goaltender Award | 1982 |
| WJC Best Goaltender Award | 1983 |
| WC All-Star Team | 1987, 1989, 1990 |
| WC Best Goaltender | 1987, 1989 |
| Olympic Games Best Goaltender | 1998 |
| IIHF Hall of Fame | 2015 |
| IIHF All-Time Czech Team | 2020 |
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Dominik Hašek, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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