Hasek's career began in 1981 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia, where he was born in 1965. It was a place where the idea of playing in the NHL seemed an unattainable fantasy. At the age of 16, Dominik made the move to the top level of Czech hockey, playing for his home team in the Czech league's First Division. At the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, the 18-year-old Hasek was drafted 207th overall by Chicago. Part of the reason he was selected so late was that Czechoslovakia was still a Communist country, and NHL teams had little hope of luring players from behind the Iron Curtain. Hasek did not even find out he had been drafted for several months and, when he did, the news did not thrill him as it would have done to thousands of young North American players.
Hasek appeared in North America in 1984 and 1987, playing for Czechoslovakia at the Canada Cup tournament, and he played in Calgary, Alberta, at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. His international profile was also enhanced by his play at the World Championships each year.
When Hasek met with Chicago general manager Bob Pulford in 1987, he turned down the Blackhawks' offer to make him the third highest paid player on the team if he left his native country. The 22-year-old was happy in university and was enjoying the perks that came with being the top goalie in a hockey-mad country. Finally, nearly seven years after he was drafted, Hasek decided to join the Hawks.
Hasek appeared in only 25 games over two seasons with the Hawks 1990-91 and 1991-92 as he was unable to wrest the starting job from young Canadian superstar Ed Belfour. In what would turn out to be one of the more lopsided trades of the decade, Chicago traded Hasek to the Buffalo Sabres for goalie Stephane Beauregard and a fourth-round draft choice with which the Hawks selected Eric Daze.
In Buffalo, Hasek was given the chance to be number one, and he wasted no time in proving his worth. He established himself not only as a winner but also as the most unorthodox goalie the NHL had ever known. He was the furthest thing from a standup goalie, he went down on every shot, sometimes contorting his body and throwing out his arms or kicking up his legs to keep the puck out of the net.
Hasek's value to his team was undeniable, however, and in 1997 and 1998 he won the Hart Trophy making him the first goalie to receive the honor since Jacques Plante in 1962, and the first goalie ever to win the NHL's highest individual accolade in consecutive years.
The highlight of Hasek's career came during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, when he led the Czech Republic to a gold medal. After the win the entire team was honored with a parade in Prague, and hundreds of thousands of fans crowded the streets in celebration of their Cinderella team. Signs reading "Hasek is God" were everywhere to be seen, and he was given a huge ovation before he made a speech.
Hasek's 1998-99 season was shortened by a nagging groin injury. Despite the pain, he was brilliant in the playoffs. Unfortunately, a controversial goal in the final game cost Hasek and the Sabres a chance to win the Stanley Cup. During the summer, Hasek announced that the coming season would be his last. He missed half of the 1999-2000 season with a serious groin injury, persuading him to postpone his retirement plans and provide Buffalo's fans with one more year of the Dominator's unmistakable style of play and was then traded to the Detroit Red Wings where he led the Red Wings to their third Stanley Cup in six year, but not before representing his country one last time at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before announcing his retirement in the summer of 2002.
After a year in retirement, Hasek's thirst for NHL action returned and he rejoined the Red Wings for the 2003-04 season. Upon his return to the Motor City and to the NHL, Hasek battled injuries which limited the six time Vezina Trophy winner to a mere 14 games.
In the Summer of 2004, Hasek signed as a free-agent with the Ottawa Senators. As a member of the Senators, Hasek would once again dominate early in the regular season and lead his team to one of the best records in the league before the Olympic break. Hasek would start in goal for the Czech Republic during the 2006 Winter Olympics, however would injure his right adductor muscle and miss the remainder of the tournament. Following the Olympics, Hasek would not return to the Senators who were upset in the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres. In the Summer of 2006, Hasek was signed by his former club the Detroit Red Wings.
In the 2006-07 season Hasek posted 38 wins and a respectable 2.05 GAA in the Detroit Red Wing crease. The club earned yet another playoff birth but suffered a number of injuries to their defensive corps late in the year. With Hasek between the pipes in the 2007 playoffs, the Red Wings knocked off the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks, but feel short of their ultimate goal after losing in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. Hasek returned to Detroit for the 2007-08 season and combined with Chris Osgood to allow just 184 goals against in 82 games. The Red Wings captured their sixth Presidents Trophy on backs of the goaltending duo which led them into the 2008 NHL playoffs. In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Hasek lost the starting role and watched as Chris Osgood led the club to their fourth championship in eleven years. After the playoffs, Hasek and Osgood were awarded the Jennings Trophy for leading the league in fewest goals against during the 2007-08 regular season.
On June 9, 2008 Haek announced his retirement from the NHL, only five days after winning his second Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings
