Time is the great healer as the Sabres recognize Dominik Hasek.

Fomer Sabres great Dominik Hasek is back into the fold in Buffalo where he belongs as tonight he will be enshrined in the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.


Time heals all wounds. Ted Nolan
and Dominik Hasek, March 28, 2014
 

It's been a long time coming, and an incredible 180 for the Buffalo Sabres franchise as a whole.

At the beginning of this season, long-time GM Darcy Regier was still at the helm eventually concluding a 17 yr. run. Sabres interim coach Ted Nolan was coaching in Latvia at the time while Hasek was enjoying the first year of his final retirement, tooling around his native Czech Republic playing pickup games.

The front office turmoil earlier this month in Sabreland is nothing new to this franchise.

Back in 1997, Hasek was becoming legendary, Nolan was winning coach of the year and John Muckler, the GM who put together a group of Sabres that were dubbed "the hardest working team in hockey" had himself a team that won their first division title in 16 years.

Then the bottom fell out.


Muckler was fired. Hasek, who was in Muckler's corner, let Regier know that he wasn't thrilled with Nolan. Regier in turn low-balled Nolan with a one-year contract extension, which was rejected. Nolan was out and Lindy Ruff was in.

Thus began the Regier/Ruff era which lasted 16 years until Ruff was fired on February 20, 2013.

On November 13, 2013 Regier and head coach Ron Rolston were fired. Sabres legend Pat LaFontaine was hired as President of Hockey Ops and immediately brought Nolan aboard as interim coach, leaving the permanent title open for his GM hire.

"The Dominator"

The "feud" between all parties involved happened over 17 years ago. All the decision-makers are gone--Team President Larry Quinn (who had two stints with the Sabres,) Muckler, and Regier.

All that's left standing are probably the two best people at their positions--Nolan and Hasek. And they hadn't talked to each other since the split 17 yrs. ago.

In a celestial full-circle, Nolan will be behind the bench when Hasek enters the Buffalo Hall of Fame tonight.

And if rumors about Nolan being ready to sign a three year contract extension (according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos) are true, Nolan will be behind the bench when #39 is raised to the rafters next season.

Former Sabres d-man Jay McKee
signs autographs at Fan Appreciation Day
April, 2011

On Friday the team announced that "The Dominator" will take his rightful place alongside Sabres greats Gilbert Perreault (1990,) Rick Martin (1995,) Rene Robert (1995,) Tim Horton (1996,) Danny Gare (2005) and LaFontaine (2006.)

Hasek is the latest former Sabres player to "come home" as owner Terry Pegula continues to make the franchise whole again.

The day after Pegula was announced as the official owner, Robert came back. He, Perrault and the late Martin skated on the ice together for the first time in decades. The French Connection was back:



On the last day of the season that year, Pegula flew in over 75 Sabres alumni for fan appreciation night.

Michael "Captain Crunch" Peca, who had a "stormy" relationship with management, which included sitting out the entire 2000-01 season over a contract dispute, is coaching the Buffalo Jr. Sabres.

Former Sabres d-man Jay McKee, who had left Buffalo after their first ECF appearance in 2006, briefly coached in Rochester.

Hasek doing the splits was the least impressive
of his "Gumby-like" contortions

The Amerks were also brought back into the fold by Pegula. The Sabres youngins were in Portland with the Pirates for the three previous seasons before Pegula took over.

But, at the thrust of it all tonight is Hasek.

For those who watched him all those years, he was one of the dominant goalies of his era, redefining his position with unorthodox, "Gumby-like" contortions as he flailed with purpose to make a save.

New Jersey's Martin Brodeur was a beast in net while playing on a defensive-minded team (a team that practically destroyed hockey by introducing the left-wing lock) and Patrick Roy was surrounded by Hall of Famers. Both had stellar careers complete with multiple Stanley Cups.

Not to take away anything from those two who should be considered some of the greatest of all time, but Hasek was on an island almost every night.

It took a while, but "The Dominator," along with his two Hart Trophies (1997, 1998); six Vezina's (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001); two Jennings Trophies (with Buffalo--1994, 2001) and two Lester B. Pearson Awards for most outstanding player as judged by the players (1997, 1998) will take his spot amongst Sabres' greats.

It's been a long time coming.