Dominik Hasek is returning for a third tour of duty with the Detroit Red Wings.
The team announced Monday it has signed the 41-year-old to a one-year deal, believed to be worth about $500,000 plus incentives.

Hasek first played for the Wings in 2001-02, when his stint culminated with a Stanley Cup party. He retired that same summer, only to de-retire two years later and ask to come back ? even though the Wings had starting goaltender Curtis Joseph under contract for $8 million, not to mention a backup in Manny Legace. But had the Wings not accepted Hasek?s demand to return, he would have become an unrestricted free agent, meaning he was free to sign with any rival.

The Wings brought Hasek back, but Hasek soon injured his groin, and he ended up playing only 14 games. His enduring presence around the locker room caused tension, however, and Hasek and Joseph hardly ever spoke. Hasek?s contract expired that summer, which coincided with the start of the NHL lockout.

Hasek went on to sign with Ottawa last summer and looked like a Vezina Trophy candidate until he got hurt. He went to the Torino Winter Games and suffered a groin injury during the first game, and never played another game.

So why did the Wings go after him? Well, they tried for Ed Belfour ? also 41, and with a back history to equal Hasek?s groin history ? but balked when he wanted too much in incentives. Belfour eventually signed with Florida, and the Wings weren?t heartbroken.

They considered some of the other goalies available, like Buffalo?s Martin Biron, San Jose with either Vesa Toskala or Evgeni Nabokov, or Anaheim?s Jean-Sebastien Giguere. But any one of those players would have had to be acquired via trade, costing the Wings both a player and money. Hasek, on the other hand, only cost money.

And should he get injured, the Wings will have cap room to acquire a goalie via a trade.

Coincidentally, Hasek will have as a backup the guy he bumped in 2001: Chris Osgood. The Wings ended up having to put Osgood on waivers that year, and the New York Islanders claimed him. Osgood signed a two-year deal earlier this summer worth $900,000 a season, with the understanding that he was to be the backup.

The Wings feel comfortable with him in that role, because he has proved to management he can handle the pressure of being playoff goalie in Detroit ? but all along, the Wings wanted another veteran as starter.

Hasek will now fill that role, leaving prospect Jimmy Howard to mature for another season in Grand Rapids.


This report will be updated

Copyright ? 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.

I would much rather have Hasek than Belfour, so I think this is a good move. As wjb said, perhaps he'll split time with Osgood during the regular season in order to keep him healthy for the playoffs. When Dom is at the top of his game, there isn't anyone better.