“No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations.”

Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me-maybe it was the passion.

I don’t like my hockey sticks touching other sticks, and I don’t like them crossing one another, and I kind of have them hidden in the corner. I put baby powder on the ends. I think it’s essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.

I think that from the time you start playing sports as a child you see that your responsibility to your team is to play the best that you can play as an individual. And yet, not take anything away from being part of a team.

The game is played out of instinct, but everyone on the ice has habits – good and bad. So the key to the game is to exploit the bad habits of your opponent.

It’s kind of ironic when I broke in at 17, I was told I was too small, too slow and I wouldn’t make the NHL.

I heard people say, ‘Why would he want to do this?’ My answer is ‘Why not?’ It is what I love. It’s what I know.

In one sense we are a favorite because we won a gold medal in 2002.

I grew up such a fan. It was my life. Everything I did was hockey related and everything I have is because of hockey and the NHL.

I wasn’t naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that’s the way I’ll be as a coach.

By no means could I play at the level of these kids who play in the NHL now but as 50-year-olds go, I feel really good and I feel blessed that I’m still healthy.

We played in an era where you were taught to hate your opponent. But life changes. I raise my kids differently than my mom and dad raised their kids.

And people who know me would tell you that away from hockey I’m really not that competitive.

I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.

Eight days ago, we were the toast of the town. Eight days later we’re Thanksgiving turkeys.

When you’re playing an exhibition, you’re kind of letting everyone get an opportunity.

There’s no perfect coach in the world. Coaches are human, too. Mistakes are made. But, fundamentally, if you’re sound, you eliminate as many mistakes as possible.

A bird in The Strand is worth two in Shepherds Bush.

All the animals, the plants, the minerals, even other kinds of men, are being broken and reassembled every day, to preserve an elite few, who are the loudest to theorize on freedom, but the least free of all.

There is not in the universe a more ridiculous, nor a more contemptible animal, than a proud clergyman.

What is the Law of the Jungle? Strike first and then give tongue.

We are the storytelling animal.

My great forte in killing buffaloes was to get them circling by riding my horse at the head of the herd and shooting their leaders. Thus the brutes behind were crowded to the left, so that they were soon going round and round.

Thirst teaches all animals to drink, but drunkenness belongs only to man.

Be more than man, or thou’rt less than an ant.