THE DOMINIK EFFECT? SABRES' HASEK A REFLECTION OF THE NHL

          Sabres G DOMINIK HASEK is profiled by Peter Richmond in
     GQ, who writes that Hasek is "the best player on the ice
     today.  The best goalie ever."  Richmond: "This is Michael
     Jordan/Babe Ruth stuff ... reserved for very few in sports." 
     But Hasek "is incapable of being packaged and marketed and
     sold for mass MTV consumption," not only because of his
     demeanor and the fact that he plays in the "shy and slump-
     shouldered town" of Buffalo, but because the NHL -- despite
     having "never been more compelling" -- has become
     "increasingly unsellable in a land geared to sports that ...
     mostly strut and scream a lot."  Hasek teammate DIXON WARD:
     "The elite players of the sport the last few years, starting
     with [Rangers C Wayne] Gretzky, have represented our sport
     tremendously.  Gretzky wasn't self-promoting; he wasn't
     flamboyant.  Dominik is the same way."  Richmond adds, "In
     the face of most sports' epidemic self-celebration, hockey's
     perennial understatement is refreshing" (GQ, 4/99 issue).
          TAKING THE HELMETS OFF: Hasek is one of nine NHL
     players appearing in GQ in the past 15 months (THE DAILY).

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