Dominik Hasek was one of the greatest goalies to ever play in the NHL and reached that title pretty early in his career with the Buffalo Sabres. He was a backup goalie with the Chicago Blackhawks, but a trade to the Sabres in 1992 gave him the chance to be a starting goalie.
What he did from there was nothing short of incredible as he would lead the league in save percentage in six straight seasons, win the Vezina Trophy six times and the Hart Memorial Trophy twice. The only accomplishment that Hasek couldn't achieve was winning the Stanley Cup, reaching the Stanley Cup Final once and the Conference Finals twice while with the Sabres.
After the 2000-01 season, the Buffalo Sabres didn't believe they were in contention to win a Stanley Cup and elected to trade Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings. The goalie made his intentions clear once he got to Detroit, and what he expected.
""I am here to win the Cup", Hasek said as he was formally introduced at a press conference in Detroit on Monday morning. "Nothing else. Nothing less.""
Dominik Hasek got his wish with an excellent Stanley Cup performance in 2002
Hasek didn't have to wait long for his first chance at a Stanley Cup, as the Red Wings would go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the team. He was clearly on a mission, knowing how close he was previously, not to let this opportunity slip away.
In the playoffs, Hasek would have six shutouts (including one in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final), and after allowing three goals in Game 1, he allowed a combined four goals over the next four games. It was an incredible performance for Hasek, and while he had to wait longer than he would have liked, it was a perfect way for him to win his first Stanley Cup.
He would go on to win another one in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings, but that was primarily as the backup goalie, and he played in only four games the entire playoffs. There is no taking away his 2002 performance, which was a big reason the Red Wings would go on to win that year.