In the K.H.L., you're even more patient at your position because the rink is so big, you cannot play that way.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.
I never really like to skate in an empty ice rink; I always need the attention of an audience.
Center is a very tough position to play.
You can't get big in hockey. You need to be pliable... they've even taken fighting out of the game, so there's no more of those big huge guys who just fight.
It's just skating, and you're going to have a couple of mistakes. Even in practice, you're not hitting 100%.
I do think the position I play is a powerful position.
I always said put me in front of 40 or 50,000 people and play hockey, I'm comfortable there. Put me in front of 50 people to talk or get in front of, and that's where I'm probably the least comfortable.
I had a hard time with that hockey. I hadn't grown up skating, so that was my biggest challenge. We worked on it and worked on it. But then when we first shot it, it was so hard for me.
I played in Joe Louis in a playoff game. I played there when the roof caved in for half a season. The facility is great for basketball because it goes straight up, so you feel like the fans are on top of you.
I think I play center field better than I do anywhere else. I have enough speed and enough reaction to know where the ball goes off the bat.