The 2002 (olympic) Team Was

When People Come Up To Me And Say, "i Was At Your Game 7 In The Playoffs In Toronto," Or, "i Saw Your First Goal In The Nhl," That Triggers Memories. But I Don't Sit Around My Kitchen Table And Tell My Kids, "you Know, One Year I Got 92 Goals."

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.

I'm Not Sure Mario Is Going To Get Accolafes He Deserves, Especially From Outside The Game. But From Within, The Players, The People Who Follow Closely, Realize Exactly What He's Broughtto The Table, Exactly What He Has Done. People Tend To Forget... Hockey Was Dying In Pittsburgh Before He Got There. I Played There. It Was Almost Dead. I'm Sorry, But The Nhl Would Not Have A Franchise In Pittsburgh Today Had Mario Not Come Along. Think About It, No Hockey In Pittsburgh.

People Talk About Skating, Puck Handling And Shooting, But The Whole Sport Is Angles And Caroms, Forgetting The Straight Direction The Puck Is Going, Calculating Where It Will Be Directed, Factoring In All The Interruptions. Basically, My Whole Game Is Angles.

I Wasn't A Great Skater And I Needed My Skates To Be Perfect - Really Tight Around The Ankles. But I Couldn't Break In New Ones Because My Feet Would Hurt So Much. I Wore A Size 9 Shoe And A 6.5 Skate - My Foot Was Really Crunched.