Dominator to play one more season

Sabres roster

"I have decided that the upcoming season will be my last," Hasek said Thursday at a news conference in Prague.

Hasek and his wife, Alena, have a 9-year-old son, Michael, and 4-year-old daughter, Dominika. The family has planned to move back to the Czech Republic after Hasek's NHL career is over.

"We want our kids to go back to Czech Republic and share in our families' backgrounds and culture," Hasek said. "I can see every year it's more and more difficult, especially for my son, to adapt to the Czech life. Every year he has more problems to speak Czech. This is one of the reasons."

Replacing Hasek will be a difficult job for the Sabres, who have built their team around the stellar goaltender.

"Obviously it will be difficult to replace somebody of the caliber of Dominik Hasek," Sabres assistant general manager Larry Carriere said. "But he gave us the opportunity to plan ... our future a year in advance."

A five-time choice as the NHL's best goalie, Hasek was bothered by a groin injury much of last season. Despite that, he helped the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup finals, losing to Dallas in six games.