Joe Thornton

“You can't please everybody. If you please 70 percent of the people, that's all you can hope for.”

“I thought I was going to be a Bruin my whole career, so it was really tough to leave. But you just have to pick up and move on, and I've done that.”

“I remember all the older guys, when I started playing, telling me how fast it all goes by. I remember being an 18-year-old and going, 'Whoa, this is the NHL. And it just flies right by, so just enjoy every day.'”

“I don't know how many years I can play, but I want to retire as a Shark.”

“Sure, I'd like to play until I'm 40 and even maybe a bit older.”

“The Shark Tank was one of the best buildings to play in, and we had a lot of memories there.”

“You need somebody to be firm with you and hard on you and watch you progress.”

“I'm going to play as long as I can because I love coming to the rink.”

“I've been obsessed with hockey ever since I can remember.”

“I've lived and breathed hockey my entire life.”

“I want to be captain.”

“Being in hockey shape is totally different than any other kind of fitness. You can run and bike and work out all summer and then go on the ice for one shift and you're dead.”

“With a team that's tight, that's close, we enjoy playing for each other. And it's going to find success.”

“I've never been a guy who is really wound up and out to prove people wrong.”

“As a young player, you really don't know if players look up to you, and maybe you're not sure how to be in the locker room.”

“Play with no fear. Just enjoy the game.”

“If you asked me in my first year would I ever get to my 1,000th game - I thought just getting to 100 would be amazing.”

“I played my heart out for the Bruins every shift, and that's all you can ask for.”

“I love to play.”

“Found out I'm actually a pretty good teacher.”