The grand experiment that cost the Red Wings $6-million and created hard feelings in the locker room has come to a dismal end.
When goalie Dominik Hasek proclaimed his sore groin would not allow him to play this season, GM Ken Holland responded with, "I would expect he is done in Detroit. ... All I'm going to say is that we're going to get some (financial relief)."
Hasek, who played 14 games before he was hurt, was expected to return last week. After Tuesday's 10-minute skate, he shut it down.
"My groin cannot handle it," Hasek said. "I hoped for two months it would get better. But it didn't get better. It got worse. ... I can't play."
It got worse for Detroit on Wednesday when Curtis Joseph sprained an ankle against San Jose. Manny Legace started Saturday and lost 5-2 against the Avalanche with Marc Lamothe as backup.
Still, it was Hasek's sudden white flag that left the bitterest taste.
"He's a tremendously gifted athlete, but he always worked harder than the guy before, and that obviously slipped," ESPN analyst Darren Pang told the Detroit News. "He took a lot of people out of their normal positions by making the decision to return, so there are times when you have to gut it out. Guys are playing hurt all the time."
Joseph, who was put on the trading block when Hasek returned, said he would honor the last year of his contract next season.
Hot, hot, hot
The Toronto Sun polled players and media members on a number of categories. Tampa Bay's Jay Feaster is the league's most underrated general manager, and John Tortorella is the second-most-underrated coach behind the Kings' Andy Murray.
Tortorella was the third-best coach to interview behind the Flyers' Ken Hitchcock and the Maple Leafs' Pat Quinn. Tampa Bay's Nikolai Khabibulin was tied with Philly's Sean Burke at No.5 among goalies, and Lightning center Vinny Lecavalier got one vote as the league's most selfish player.
Five Questions
With former Avs goalie Patrick Roy:
Q: Any second thoughts about retiring?
A: No regrets. I feel really good about my decision.
Q: What do you think of your replacement, David Aebischer?
A: I had no doubt in my mind he would play well. He was a good student all the years I was there.
Q: What is the biggest change in goaltending?
A: There is no more fear. Now goalies have a slap shot in the mask and you shake your head and you're ready to go. In the past the guy was leaving the game and he had a lot of stitches in the face.
Q: And the athletes?
A: I remember when I started, the goalie was the guy who could barely exit or was too small to be a forward. Now you have goaltenders going into corners, shooting the puck. They are very involved.
Q: Are there too many teams?
A: I think 16 teams was probably what was best for this league. If you take 10 teams out of there, I know the (players association) won't like what I'm saying, the talent would be better on the ice.
Around the league
The Flames' chances of breaking a league-high, seven-season playoff drought have been enhanced by the return of goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, who missed six weeks with a knee injury and still leads the league in save percentage and goals-against average. ... The brawl between the Thrashers and Oilers in which goalies Pasi Nurminen and Ty Conklin exchanged punches resulted in 10 game misconducts and 12 fighting majors. Said Oilers forward Ryan Smyth: "That was like something out of the 1980s or something." ... Flyers center Jeremy Roenick on having his jaw shattered Thursday by a slap shot from New York's Boris Mironov: "I was unconscious. When I came to I was spitting blood. When I came to I wanted to make sure I didn't choke on my blood." ... The Boston Herald reported that suits from Bank of America, which is buying Fleet Bank, balked at renaming the FleetCenter Bank of America Garden because everyone would refer to it as the Garden. ... Rumors are that disgruntled Wild goalie Manny Fernandez is on his way to the Rangers.
Quotable
"The rope is not hanging at home. I'm not going to throw myself off a chair." - Devils coach Pat Burns on a three-game slide.
- Compiled by Times staff writer Damian Cristodero from personal interviews and information from other news organizations.
