Hasek out for season, but he's not planning on retiring
By Wire services
Published February 11, 2004
DETROIT - Dominik Hasek's season is over because of a groin injury, but he's determined not to let it end his career.
"I'll be back next season," Hasek said Tuesday.
Hasek, 39, ended his retirement after one year to return to Detroit this season, but he played in just 14 games before Tuesday's announcement. He was 8-3-2 for the Central Division-leading Red Wings.
Hasek said he doesn't regret coming back. "No, I never made a mistake," he said.
One of the NHL's all-time great goaltenders, Hasek won two MVP awards and six Vezina Trophies, given to the league's top goalie, in a nine-year stint in Buffalo. He joined the Red Wings before the 2001-02 season.
GMs propose changes
HENDERSON, Nev. - Hoping to increase scoring, general managers proposed goaltenders wear smaller pads and not be allowed to handle the puck behind the goal line.
The general managers agreed to the suggestions during a five-hour collective meeting.
"We're attempting to restrike the balance between offense and defense," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said after the session that included three members of the players association.
Goaltenders will be the most affected as the width of their pads could be reduced from 12 inches to 10 inches - where they were before 1989 - and they would no longer be able to go behind the goal line to play the puck.
Bettman came with a mandate to GMs to produce a better product. Scoring has dropped by 21/2 goals per game in the past 15 years to an average of five.
The group came up with several adjustments that could become rules after they are discussed by a panel of experts put together by Bettman and voted on by the board of governors this summer.
One of those is moving the nets back 3 feet toward the end boards to 10 feet. In doing so, the blue lines also move in 3 feet to keep the distance the same between the blue line and the goal, and increase the neutral zones to 60 feet from 54. Before the 1990-91 season the goal was moved to 11 feet and then to 13 eight years later.
Also recommended is the tag-up offsides rule, which will increase the flow of the game and lead to fewer whistles.
Devils will move
The team signed an agreement to move to a new arena in Newark by 2007, following the New Jersey Nets' move out of the Meadowlands. The agreement calls for Newark to build a $300-million, 18,000-seat downtown arena for the Devils, who won their third Stanley Cup championship in nine years last season.
AVALANCHE: Defenseman Rob Blake broke his left leg and is out indefinitely. He had played in pain the past couple of weeks, and tests Monday revealed the fracture.
BLUE JACKETS: Minor-league defenseman Pauli Levokari was traded to the Penguins for Brendan Buckley, a defenseman who was assigned to AHL Syracuse.
COYOTES: Forward Tyson Nash was suspended for two games without pay for slashing San Jose's Alexander Korolyuk in a game last week. He will miss today's game against Anaheim and Friday's against the Islanders.
THRASHERS: Defenseman Andy Sutton and forward Randy Robitaille were activated from injured reserve, and Yannick Tremblay was placed on injured reserve.
Tuesday's games
PANTHERS 2, CANADIENS 1: Viktor Kozlov set a Florida record with two goals in seven seconds in the second period in interim coach John Torchetti's debut.
BRUINS 6, PENGUINS 3: Pittsburgh lost a club record 12th in a row and tied an NHL record with its 11th straight home loss, and Boston's Dan McGillis scored his first goal in nearly two months. ... Bruins forward Glen Murray sat out the game because of an unspecified illness.
SENATORS 3, BLUES 1: Marian Hossa scored two of host Ottawa's three first-period goals as the Senators ended a season-high three-game losing streak.
SABRES 2, SHARKS 1: Daniel Briere scored twice and Martin Biron made 27 saves as host Buffalo won its sixth in eight games (6-2-0).
FLYERS 4, DEVILS 1: Rookie Antero Niittymaki stopped 35 shots for his third win in as many starts for host Philadelphia.
KINGS 3, WILD 1: Trent Klatt scored midway though the third to break a tie and Roman Cechmanek made 22 saves for visiting Los Angeles.
FLAMES 5, THRASHERS 2: Dean McAmmond and Jarome Iginla each scored twice as host Calgary extended Atlanta's winless streak to nine games.
ISLANDERS 1, AVALANCHE 1: Philippe Sauve had two acrobatic saves in overtime, helping host Colorado salvage the tie after both teams scored in the second.
