Hasek forfeits money

Wings GM Ken Holland a press conference today in which he announced that Dominik Hasek has refused to accept $3 million of his salary because of his groin injury. Hasek announced he was done for the year on February 10th and has not been paid since January 9th. According to Holland,

"He just felt that he wasn't doing what he really had set out to do which is to play hockey and play at a high level. At that time, he told me that he did not want to receive any further salary until he was ready to play.''

Hasek has already received about half of his $6 million contract. Holland also said "I think it's an unbelievable gesture.' I'm impressed with Hasek for doing this because I had been afraid over the past month that the Wings would have to wrestle that money away from him. The fact that he has given it up without a fight gives me a much different outlook on the guy. I still don't think he should be getting that $3 million but I guess the Wings will have to take it the way it is. I wish Hasek could have stuck it out and continued playing but he obviously isn't that type of player. I can appreciate the attempt, though, as weak as it seems to those of us who are amazed at Steve Yzerman for playing on his destroyed knee. It's too bad the Wings couldn't use this discount by spending it on someone else in an aquisition at the trade deadline. A little tweaking wouldn't have hurt, I think, and it seems like Holland was aiming too high in going after Ron Francis and Mark Messier.