The goalie returns after a one-year “retirement.”

DETROIT (AP) – Dominik Hasek is coming back to the Red Wings, one year after he led them to a Stanley Cup title.

“I now feel that I have achieved a better balance in my life, and I have more to contribute to the game,” the 38-year-old goalie said Tuesday. “My batteries are recharged, and I have the fire for competing for the Cup again.”

The Red Wings late last month exercised an $8 million option on Hasek, who retired a year ago and now lives in the Czech Republic. It wasn’t clear until Tuesday whether Hasek would play this season.

His decision leaves Detroit with a pair of high-priced goaltenders.

Curtis Joseph, signed a year ago to replace Hasek, could be traded. He first would need to waive a no-trade clause in his contract.

“Ideally, as quickly as possible, I’d like to get a goaltender moved,” general manager Ken Holland said Tuesday.

He added: “We’re going to have to be creative with some other teams to try to put something together.”

Holland said he planned to talk later Tuesday to Joseph, a 14-year veteran who was signed as an unrestricted free agent last summer to a three-year, $24 million contract.

“My decision unfortunately affects other people. However my desire is to play with the Detroit Red Wings,” Hasek said.

Hasek is a six-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goalie, two-time Hart Trophy winner as the league’s most valuable player and an Olympic gold medalist from the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

It’s unclear how Hasek’s situation could affect Detroit’s bid to retain key veteran players that have yet to sign for the upcoming season.

If the Red Wings trade Joseph, they likely will have to pick up a portion of his $8 million salary next season, diminishing the cash available to pay other players.

Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman and Igor Larionov are unrestricted free agents.

And Detroit last week spent millions on free agent defenseman Derian Hatcher.

AP-ES-07-08-03 1139EDT