This Day in Hockey History
1965 - Happy birthday, Dominik Hasek
In the city of Pardubice in the country then known as Czechoslovakia, legendary goaltender Dominik Hasek is born.
Drafted 199th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks 1983, Hasek played 16 NHL seasons, earning the nickname "The Dominator" with the Buffalo Sabres before moving on to the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators.
In Buffalo, Hasek won six Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie and two Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player. He also led the club to the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in controversial fashion thanks to Brett Hull and the Dallas Stars.
Hasek was traded to Detroit prior to the 2001-02 season, and it was there that he was able to add Cup champion to his resume, raising the trophy in 2002 and 2008.
All told, Hasek won 389 regular season games with a save percentage of .922; in the playoffs, he raised that mark to .925.
Internationally, Hasek famously led the Czech national team to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, a best-on-best tournament featuring NHL players. After having beat Canada in a shootout, Hasek was called the best player in the game by none other than the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky.
Hasek played his final NHL game in 2008, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 17, 2014.
The following tribute video displays the unorthodox style that made fans drop their jaws and players slam their sticks:
Other birthdays
1943 - Pat Quinn
1954 - Doug Risebrough
1959 - Mike Foligno
1967 - Sean Burke
1989 - Kevin Shattenkirk