I know I don't have the job yet. I cherish every play and every opportunity to be where I am. It's taken me so long to get here. I don't take anything for granted.

We are still young. We only skated two seniors today. That's why we wanted this opportunity to play some better teams.

They were not so fast to scream at refs of the field because they knew if a play was called wrong, it would get corrected upstairs.

I want to be meaner than ever this year.

I'd sit back in amazement of, one, him not having a leg, and two, the stuff he was doing without a leg. I'd never let him see me get emotional about it. Inspiration is not the word. It goes so far beyond that. I would see him put hours in the weight room and I would be there helping him. To see that desire in his face, in his eyes, he wanted to finish on his terms.

I've got to be in the best shape of my life. This is a contract year for me, probably the most important year of my career.