Dominik Hasek is the best goaltender to ever occupy an NHL crease — argue with a brick wall; Hasek was one of those, too — and the Buffalo Sabres legend continues to receive accolades nearly two decades after his retirement.
Paul Pidutti of Daily Faceoff introduced a new idea called "The Torch," which is meant to pinpoint the single best player at any point in NHL history. The Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid is the current holder, taking over from the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby in 2018.
Hasek is the only Sabres player to crack the prestigious list, with Pidutti estimating he stood at the NHL mountaintop during a three-year period from 1997 through 1999.
"With [Mario] Lemieux out of the picture in Summer 1997, it was finally Hasek's time for The Torch — the only goalie to ever hold it," Pidutti wrote Wednesday. "He'd fuel the flame through the 1999 playoffs, where he posted a .939 playoff save percentage as his Buffalo Sabres fell two wins short of a Cup."
Hasek is the most decorated player in Sabres history. His nine-year run in Buffalo (1992-2001) featured six Vezina Trophies, six NHL First All-Star Team selections, five All-Star Game appearances, three Jennings Trophies, two Hart Trophies as the league's Most Valuable Player and two Lester B. Pearson Awards.
The Czech sensation accomplished that success despite a highly unorthodox style that led to countless highlight-reel saves, which were made even more memorable by the famous calls by legendary play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret that accompanied every miraculous stop.
Unfortunately, Hasek's tenure in Western New York ended without a Stanley Cup title. He backstopped the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, where they infamously lost to the Dallas Stars in controversial fashion — "No Goal" — on a championship-clinching tally by Brett Hull.
The 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee did win a pair of Cups with the Detroit Red Wings following his departure from Buffalo (2002 and 2008) to complete his unblemished NHL résumé.
Dominik Hasek has a strong case as the greatest player in Buffalo Sabres history
It's an age-old debate within the Buffalo fanbase: Who's the best player to ever don a Sabres jersey, Hasek or "the original Sabre" Gilbert Perreault?
Although Perreault owns the longevity advantage, playing his entire 17-year NHL career with the Blue and Gold, and still holds several franchise records, including games played (1,191), goals (512) and assists (814), prime Hasek was one of the most dominate forces in league history.
The Sabres were never the most talented club during the 1990s, which is why they were instead dubbed the "Hardest-Working Team in Hockey." They used a hard-nosed, blue-collar approach and left everything else up to their superstar goalie.
Hasek answered the bell with remarkable consistency. He led the NHL in save percentage for six straight years starting in 1993-94, never posting a mark below .920 during that stretch. His ability to completely take over a game is unmatched in the organization's 56-year existence.
The 1998 Olympic gold medalist finished his time in Buffalo with a 234-170-70 record, 2.22 goals against average, .926 save percentage and 55 shutouts across 491 appearances. He also compiled a tremendous .930 SV% in 68 playoff games for the Sabres.
While the Blue and Gold have iced numerous other fantastic players, including Perreault, his French Connection linemates Rick Martin and Rene Robert, Pat LaFontaine, Alexander Mogilny, Dave Andreychuk and Ryan Miller, none of them can match the peak impact of Hasek. (Rasmus Dahlin is the current player with the best chance to eventually land among those franchise greats.)
Hasek made the extraordinary seem ordinary on a constant basis, and he carried the Sabres to a lot of victories, including on nights where the other 18 players weren't at their best. He usually single-handedly transformed the Sabres from a fringe playoff contender into a Stanley Cup threat.
Ultimately, it'd be hard to say anybody is "wrong" for picking Perreault as the all-time greatest Sabre, but Hasek isn't a bad choice for that high honor either.
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