Mario Lemieux Player Quotations

He was one of the best players out there, skating-wise and handling the puck.

I've had a chance to spend some time in L.A. with him, training and having dinners, and that's all he talks about, hockey, ... He knows the history of the game, loves to talk about the players and the teams. That's why I think he's going to be very successful, because he's dedicated his life to the game.

Once I'm at the arena with the guys in the dressing room, and in the bus, and on the plane, I'm a player. And I sit in the back with the players and I play cards and try to take their money.

Everybody I talked to - from my friends to my family and some of the players - really gave me a lot of support from the start. And that certainly made me feel good about trying to come back and be one of the best again.

Since the beginning, I always loved the game. When you grow up in Montreal, one day you want to be a professional hockey player. When I was six or seven, I knew that was what I wanted.

All I can say to the young players is, enjoy every moment of it. Just enjoy every moment of it. Your career goes by very quickly.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a professional hockey player.