Joe Sakic

“I always said to myself that the minute I thought I'd slipped, and not be the player I wanted to be, it was time for me to go.”

“I always said to myself that if I thought I slipped and could not be the player that I want to be, then it was time for me to go.”

“As a kid, you dream of winning the Stanley Cup. As you get older, you understand the importance of winning the Olympics.”

“To play in the Olympics, to play for your country, there's nothing like it. You love doing it and I'm looking forward to it again. We're all looking forward to trying to win another gold.”

“When you think of Canada, you think of hockey and you think of Wayne Gretzky.”

“After 20 years in the game, I was fortunate to get away from the game and enjoy my family, which was great for me.”

“You know what's good? Going on the ice and knowing that you don't have to skate when the whistle blows. All my life I've been the one skating.”

“I'm just happy I got a hole-in-one for the first time in my life.”

“The benefit is competition, the thrill of playing in the Olympics, being an Olympian, playing against the best.”

“I didn't know that I'd like it this much, coaching both boys and coming out all the time and seeing how excited they are to play hockey. It reminds you of when you were that age and you wanted to be out on the ice.”

“The more I can hear, the more I can learn, the better off I'll be.”

“To be honest, I don't care how it went in.”

“You need a lot of leaders, but a hockey team needs a voice, not only in the community, but more importantly between the coaching staff and the players. There are always ups and downs in a season; the captain is the guy players look to in those situations.”

“I'm leaving the game of hockey with nothing but great memories.”

“You can't play hockey with a bald spot, so I'm hanging up the skates.”

“Obviously there are not too many people who get a chance to play in the Olympics in their hometown. That would be something special, but going into the summer you have to be realistic with yourself, and health-wise and motivation-wise you have to be willing to do what it takes.”

“Once you're in the game and it's a part of your life, you never want to leave it. But you have to be committed to be able to travel and do the things you need to do to be successful in whatever role you're doing.”

“My e-mail address is actually my wife's e-mail address. I actually hate computers.”

“Hockey has given me everything, most importantly it brought me to Swift Current, where I met my wife Deb.”

“Any free meal is a good meal, you know?”