“Only one thing is ever guaranteed, that is that you will definitely not achieve the goal if you don’t take the shot.”

I can remember hockey. It was my life, my passion. It’s what I love the most.

My kids are no different than anyone else’s – they tend to disagree with everything I say!

I played everything. I played lacrosse, baseball, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that you played hockey in the winter and when the season was over you hung up your skates and you played something else.

A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.

One of the key qualities that you need to be a great hockey player is fantastic anticipation and feel for the game – if you know where the puck is going before it is hit, that is half the battle.

Most people marry their mother. I married my father.

A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking.

When I played in a 21-team league, there were six or seven goalies who were just average, and the equipment and pads were smaller. I came in the right era. I played for the right team. It was all speed, and creativity and imagination.

It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t matter what other people think. You have to get on the ice and participate and play and the best team wins.

Lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time. There’s nothing like it. It’s the greatest story. In my era, they used to say you couldn’t be a superstar without winning one. I remember thinking when I lifted it: “Now they can’t say that about me.”

I can’t remember the last time I went to a game and there was a fight. I think they fight more in baseball now than they do in hockey.

You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.

My best friend had a hockey scholarship at Ohio State, so I would get a couple of pairs at the beginning of the season and send them down to him. They practised two hours a day. He’d skate in them for three weeks then ship them back.

I miss all the shots I don’t take.

I think a lot of parents live their lives through the kids. Because they didn’t make it [achieve something], they want their kids to make it. It puts a lot of undue pressure on the kids.

We feel fortunate [with Canada hockey team]. We have got a lot of guys who love to play, but they also love to win even more. We are pretty happy. Although we are young, we like our group of players.

Success in the present is only achieved when you put your focus where you want your future.

With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become.

You’d be hard pressed to find elite achievers who don’t have coaches helping them in key areas of their life.

I was the kid who never won the races. I never jumped the highest. I wasn’t on the list of the high-achieving.

Don’t worry about achieving. Don’t worry about perfection. Just be there each moment as best you can.

If you aren’t where you want to be or you haven’t achieved all you hope to achieve, the reason most likely resides not around you but within you. Take responsibility and then take action.

Very early in life I became fascinated with the wonders language can achieve. And I began playing with words.

Recognizing poor leadership is a vital skill to help you achieve greatness.