Ken Holland Team Quotations

We've got a new coach in Mike Babcock, who has no preconceived notions about either guy. They're both in their early 30s and they both are on one-year contracts, so I expect a healthy competition and I hope in the end the team is the benefactor.

One thing we can carry into the playoffs is the fact we've been so consistent. This team should feel good about what it accomplished.

For me, that was our main goal (this season) to win the Central. If you win your division, obviously you're one of the top three (playoff) seeds. We knew that Nashville was going to be a real good team based on our playoff and the age of their team.

He's got good skill, and I think he gives our team depth, and maybe he'll surprise us. In the new world, you're going to have to have some players that are good bargains. At the worst, he'll be a good player for us in Grand Rapids and if we get into injury situations, he'll probably be a good guy to call up with his NHL experience.

Hockey is a physical sport and injuries are an everyday part of our game. A key to our success is treating those injuries with the highest possible level of health care and that's what we receive from our team physicians at Detroit Medical Center.

We'll be a difficult team to play against.

We weren't looking to do anything significant. Why do something significant? I think we've got five, six, seven players on our team that can play better. ... I still think as a team and individually, we can raise our game. So, again, why look to make a major overhaul at this stage of the game?

Cory is a real good person and he'll be good for our team chemistry. It's an opportunity for Cory. I can't tell you whether he'll be the sixth, or seventh or eighth defenseman, I can't tell you. That'll be decided over the next 20 games.

Dave's relationship with half our team -- and it was the core half -- had really been cemented as the assistant coach. I thought it was important to bring in someone with a different type of personality.