Inside the locker room with the NHL's best and brightest

Sunday, October 26, 2003

Dominik Hasek, Red Wings goaltender, is one of the most decorated in NHL history at his position. He retired after leading Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2002 but returned this season at age 38 after management determined Curtis Joseph and Manny Legace were not enough for a run at a repeat.

Dejan Kovacevic asked him questions eight days ago at Mellon Arena.

Mario Lemieux was able to score again right away after coming out of retirement. How will you do after a year away?

Oh, Mario's the only one. I was struggling a lot in the preseason, but I felt better after a couple of weeks went by. Now, I feel pretty comfortable, pretty good about myself. But I tell you, at the beginning, everything was difficult for me, the physical part, the timing. Mario, when he came back, it was like he didn't miss anything, you know?

Is there another team that could have brought you back to the NHL?

No, Detroit is very special. My desire was to play with this team. I knew about the difficult situation here with Cujo and Manny, so I wasn't sure they would want me. But I won the Stanley Cup with this team. I was part of that team, so my desire was to play again and to try to win it one more time.

We are seeing here in Pittsburgh a team being built around a young goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury. We saw the same with you and the Sabres a few years ago. Can that be difficult on a goaltender, that pressure?

I don't think so. It depends on the way the whole team feels. If the team plays well defensively, I think it's good for a young goalie to develop this quality, this style. It was the same for me in Buffalo, even though I was older at the time. I still was sort of new to the NHL. I think it's good for him to start with a team like that, and maybe in a couple years they can develop a great team around him.

We have seen Fleury approach his warmups and practices very intensely. You have been known for that for years, always doing extra to stop every shot in every drill. Is there a philosophy to that?

I just feel much better after a good warmup. I take a shower when I'm done, and I feel good about myself. If I have warmups and all I do is let the puck go by, I don't feel good about myself. This way, I feel good, and I think it's very important, especially when you first come to the NHL. For him, for anybody playing this position, it's important to have high motivation in the games and the practices. If he can work hard in the practices, he can be great in the games, too.

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