Red Wings expect Hasek's decision by end of week
June 11, 2007
DETROIT (AP) -The Detroit Red Wings expect to know soon whether goaltender Dominik Hasek will return to play for them next season or retire.
!
``We should find out by the end of the week,'' general manager Ken Holland said Monday night. ``We're optimistic he'll come back, but we're still talking at this point.''
Holland said the team is close to re-signing defenseman Chris Chelios, who was effective last season at age 45.
``We really would like to get something done with him,'' Holland said.
The 42-year-old Hasek said in late May that he needed a few weeks to make a decision.
``Me and my family have to make the decision,'' the six-time Vezina Trophy winner and two-time NHL MVP said shortly after Detroit's season ended.
Hasek signed a one-year contract worth $750,000 and earned $900,000 in bonuses for helping the Red Wings advance past the second round for the first time since 2002. Detroit was eliminated in the Western Conference finals by the Anaheim Ducks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
He was 38-11-6 with a 2.05 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and eight shutouts during his 15th regular season and third in Detroit. In the playoffs, Hasek was 10-8 with a 1.79 GAA, .923 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Red Wings planned to reduce Chelios' role in each of the last two seasons, but he ended up being a key defenseman because Jiri Fischer was sidelined with a heart ailment during the 2005-06 season and Niklas Kronwall was injured last season.
Chelios set an NHL record by playing in the postseason for a 22nd time, breaking Ray Bourque's mark. He became the second-oldest player to appear in the playoffs, trailing only Gordie Howe, who was 52 when he played with Hartford in 1980 after a stellar career with the Red Wings.