Hasek’s Big Season Is Doubly Impressive

TORONTO — Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek was a double winner at the NHL awards ceremony Thursday night, getting the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player and the Vezina as the best goaltender.

In pulling off the rare double, Hasek became the first goalie to win the award since Montreal’s Jacques Plante won in 1962. Hasek, who earlier won the Lester B. Pearson Award as MVP voted by the players, overcame a strong challenge from Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux.

Lemieux, the NHL’s leading scorer and five-time winner of the Hart, announced his retirement right before the playoffs and was considered the sentimental favorite for the award.

The award capped a remarkable year for Hasek. He won a career-high 37 games, with five shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.27, and led an overachieving Sabres team to the Northeast Division title.

Hasek also led the league in save percentage (.930) for the fourth year in a row.

The award was voted on by writers before the playoffs, when the injured Hasek struggled and was suspended for three games for physically threatening a sports writer. “It’s a fantastic honor for me,” Hasek said. “After winning Vezina a couple of minutes ago and the Lester Pearson earlier today, this is something I cannot describe in words.”

Hasek also beat out Paul Kariya of the Mighty Ducks for the Hart.

Buffalo players copped three individual awards at the annual post-season award ceremonies. Hasek’s teammate Mike Peca won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward.

The New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman, defeating Colorado’s Sandis Ozolinsh and Vladimir Konstantinov, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident less than a week after helping the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup. Konstantinov, in critical condition in a Detroit-area hospital, was on the minds of the award recipients, most of whom mentioned him in their speeches.

Ted Nolan, who led the Buffalo Sabres to the Northeast Division championship during the regular season, won the Adams Trophy as coach of the year.

Other award-winners: Anaheim’s Paul Kariya won the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL’s most sportsmanlike player; Brian Berard of the New York Islanders won the Calder as rookie of the year and San Jose’s Tony Granato the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Hasek beat out Colorado’s Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils for the Vezina.

Leetch, who won his second Norris Trophy, led all defenseman in scoring with 20 goals and 58 assists and did not miss a game for the fourth consecutive season.

“This is something that I will certainly treasure for a very long time, given the other players who have won the award,” Leetch said.

Vancouver’s Trevor Linden received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.”

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NHL AWARDS

* HART TROPHY (MVP)--Dominik Hasek, Buffalo.

* VEZINA TROPHY (goaltender)--Dominik Hasek, Buffalo.

* NORRIS TROPHY (defenseman)--Brian Leetch, N.Y. Rangers.

* CALDER TROPHY (rookie)--Bryan Berard, N.Y. Islanders.

* ROSS TROPHY (leading scorer)--Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh.

* SELKE TROPHY (defensive forward)--Mike Peca, Buffalo.

* LADY BYNG TROPHY (sportsmanship)--Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks.

* PEARSON AWARD (outstanding player)--Dominik Hasek, Buffalo.

* KING CLANCY TROPHY (leadership)--Trevor Linden, Vancouver.

* MASTERTON TROPHY (perseverance, dedication)--Tony Granato, San Jose.

* ADAMS AWARD (coach)--Ted Nolan, Buffalo.

Note: Voting for awards is by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Assn., except the Vezina, which is awarded by NHL general managers, the Adams, which is determined by a poll of NHL Broadcasters’ Assn. members, and the Pearson, voted on by the players.