A biography for Paul Coffeyhasn’t been written yet.
“Leadership is one of sports' intangibles. Guys can score, guys can fight, guys can skate faster than anybody else. But not everybody can say, 'Follow me.'”
“I was a natural skater, but I also took private lessons to enhance my skills.”
“You learn by playing a great team, and I'm talking about character things, not hockey technique.”
“Sight is something you take for granted until you think you might lose it.”
“There's only a couple stats that matter. No one cares how many blocked shots a guy has, how many hits.”
“Outdoor hockey is what it is all about.”
“Before you become successful, you have to fall down on your face.”
“I don't think longevity gets enough credit when you're talking about a player.”
“There are certain guys that think they know hockey because they follow it on the Internet.”
“My mother passed away of complications of dementia. As you get older, it really makes you realize how many people are touched by this disease.”
“I have great memories of my years in Edmonton and the players who were my teammates.”
“That feeling in the dressing room after you win - nothing comes close to that. You can't get that in any other career. Maybe in the stock market back in the '80s when people were making tons of money, maybe they felt something similar. Maybe. But look at the market now. Nothing gives you that emotion like sports. Nothing. Am I wrong?”
“People ask me all the time now, what's the most memorable moment of your career? It's always the championships. The first goal, the 50th - it doesn't matter. It's always the championships.”
“Having Wayne in town will be exciting enough.”
“I went on and was still able to play some good hockey.”
“Anyone that coaches their son, you expect more out of your boy. I'm not talking about stats, but I expected him to be the hardest worker out there.”
“Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. It's hard to stay on top.”
“I didn't spend a whole lot of time here, but I had the seven best years of my career in this city and having an attachment here 20-some odd years later is pretty special to me.”