The biggest thing for me is the passion that I've always had for hockey. I remember growing up, no matter what I did in life, my parents always told me to try to do my best at it and be my best. I can say going through different things that that passion is the most important part. It's not skills or talent or any of that stuff.
I think as a Canadian hockey player, you go through it in your mind so many times, being able to stand on that blue line and hear your national anthem play and being a gold medal champion, you dream of that. And then to be able to accomplish that and actually win a gold medal and represent your country its an amazing feeling.
The more you hesitate in a game, the more your chance of getting hit. Your focus isn't there. When you hesitate, usually you're in trouble.
I don't think you're human if you don't get nervous.
Whether you're trying to learn in hockey or trying to learn in life, I've always tried to be observant and tried to learn more, tried to evolve, whether it's as a hockey player or as a person. With each year, I try to do that.
I want to be the best, so whatever comes with that, I'll have to accept.
I don't have one favourite band. I like everything.
I am putting pressure on myself to do my best and perform to my potential.
I didn't realize the connection between the mullet and success. For sure, you have to have a little bit of hockey hair - a little bit of flow, as they say. A lot of guys have fun with their hockey hair, so I'll try to keep it a little long.
For me, I've learned that the best thing is to focus on the team you play for and yourself and what you need to do.
In football, every play, play after play, there's that physicality. Football players only play once a week, so they must really need to rest. That does kind of tell you how physical the sport is. But in hockey, you have the boards. I just couldn't say which is more physical.
My favorite player would probably be Steve Yzerman. He played in Detroit. I really liked the way he played and the way he handled himself.
Challenging someone is good. You need to do it. Sometimes they don't even realize you're doing it, like when you joke with a goalie, 'What's wrong today? You losing it?'
Individual honors and scoring championships are great, but my No. 1 goal is to win the Stanley Cup.
When I'm practicing, I think I'm pretty focused, and I spend a lot of energy on making sure I get better, but once I'm outside the rink, I think, like anyone else, I like to enjoy everything that everyone else does.
In my situation there are often things I need to do for the team, so when I get the chance to relax it's all I want to do.
Breakaway goals are fun.
I'm most comfortable definitely when I'm on the ice. I love to play. It's something that I just love to do.
It is so important to me to have my time away from hockey. Obviously, hockey is my passion; I love it. But definitely for me, time away from the rink and time when my mind isn't thinking about hockey is important.
People are going to have their opinions. Whether it's good or bad, I don't really think about it either way.
