Chris Chelios Quotations

We're getting better every game. I don't think any of us can be getting frustrated. But we've got to do something constructive coming out of the round-robin.

We know we're going to be ready. Every game is so crucial. Every game will be a big game for us. Tonight, we cleaned up a lot of things and we hope to get better. We know what to expect. We know we took too many penalties against Latvia. You can't do that with the skill levels of the teams in this tournament. We're aware of what we have to do.

I've had some of the best times of my life at The KK. The best staff at the greatest college bar in the country!

So here I am running at guys who aren't taller than 5-foot-8, and I'm the one who tears up his knee.

Guys like him ruin it for everybody else. It's just embarrassing. Or maybe he's not embarrassed because he probably believes he's not doing it-that's how liars are.

I'm 100 percent sure this is it. I know that I'll never play in the NHL again. It's not a hard decision. I think the hardest thing is you get a little emotional talking about your family. I couldn't have played any longer than I did and I accomplished what I wanted to.

When no one else signs me.

It takes brains. It's not like a forward, where you can get away with scoring and not play defense. On defense you have to be thinking.

We're not commenting on that. As far as we're concerned, it isn't an issue for us.

Maybe we were a little too fancy at times and we just need to get the puck into the net. We made a few mistakes, a little bit over aggressive and if you make mistakes against a quality team like this they will burn you. I think we will get better as the rest of the tournament goes on.

Obviously, we're disappointed with the outcome again, like the first game, but we can't be frustrated. That's a good team we played. I thought we played well enough to win but they played well, too.

Maybe the five days (off) will do me good in the long run. It (the Olympics) was a great experience. Up until the last game we were in every game. You can make all the excuses in the world but good teams find a way to win and we never did that.

Nike is renting it out for the whole week.

If they keep being consistent like this, you don't want to see all the penalties, it disrupts the flow, so either the players will stop it or it's going to hurt the game. Only time will tell. Yesterday (Wednesday's game against Colorado) was a great game, not too many penalties, tonight there were a lot of penalties that probably should have been that weren't called, but there was some flow.

I'd like to put in my two cents. I'd like to see Matt Millen coach the team, to be honest with you. Because he keeps talking about they need a disciplinarian guy and a hard-nosed guy that kind of fits the character of the city. I think he's the perfect choice to just get out there and start rocking some heads.

I don't think any team could have had a worse scenario than us, missing five guys and the week road trip on the West Coast. It's not an advantage, but that's the way it is.

I don't think we took it as seriously from the beginning. That won't happen again.

For whatever reason we did get complacent. For a game we had total control, we were winning, great teams find ways to win and keep leads, especially at this point in the season. There's no excuse for it. But thank God it wasn't a team that (was) chasing us or needed the points, which was a good thing.

He looks big in there and made some great saves. When he needed to make the big saves, he did.

We're on a pretty good roll. We stress being aggressive, but you get bounces, too. They (the Avalanche) had a couple of (scoring) chances. We try to make them make a really good play if we're going to get beat. Right now, it's working pretty well.

I almost played my way off that team, probably because I was so nervous playing in front of Don. I knew I was on the bubble.

I think the guys are pretty satisfied with our effort throughout the first five games. Now we've got a good game against Finland, which is a very hot team.

I thought we played well enough to win. We aren't happy with our results, but I think we happy with our effort.

I think it's pretty special and he's having a blast.

I think it's really important for the guys to realize how important it is to get out to a great start. We've got to come out of the gate ready.

Our special teams, again, we didn't score on our power play, they did. We took some bad penalties. We stay out of the box, no problem, we're in total control.

Right now, with a tie, a loss and a win, we've got to come up with a big game against Sweden.

Physically, I'm fine. We're looking for offense, we're down a goal, so we got the guys there to try and generate some offense. Obviously, we're disappointed with the outcome again like the first game, but we can't be frustrated. I thought we played well enough to win it, it's just they played well, too.

It all depends on how the referees call it. We've been through that before. All the players are told to support it and not be negative in the beginning, so I guess we'll just go with that.

Manny came up with some big saves. The difference was we scored on our 5-on-3 and they did not.

That's the most obscure place you could have it. Most players won't go. I think he set up to discourage as many people as possible from going.

We just can't convert our chances. We had the puck up the middle of the ice a lot, and didn't get anything to show for it.

We were more patient on defense tonight. We have a new system, and (Wednesday) night, we were still standing around, thinking about what to do. Tonight we had it down.

We came into this thing with a lot of confidence, and our confidence should still be high. We've improved defensively every game. By no means are we frustrated. There have been so many upsets, it's anybody's tournament, and we gotta realize that.

We came into this thing with a lot of confidence and our confidence level is still high. We feel really good about our game, but the bottom line is, we've got to finish.

Time is of the essence and it's running out. We've got to feel good about ourselves.

Triple highlights. Even though we're (on the opposing team), we were cheering on the bench.

We had no business giving (Columbus) any life ... it cost us a point. Great teams find a way to keep leads and win especially at this point in the season.

We played a patient game, and we were fortunate to get a couple at the end there. They spread you out, they play pretty offensive, those first two lines, which sometimes puts you on your heels, and I think instead of going after them in the transition game, we kept turning the puck over. But as the game went on, we adjusted to that.

We played a patient game and we were fortunate to get a couple at the end.

There is just a problem with the way Ted was chosen -- they didn't follow due process, ... No one knows if Trevor appointed Ted himself, which he had no right to do, because the player reps are supposed to vote on it also. The biggest concern is, no one knows what's going on, and that's a fact. Scott Mellanby , who is a player rep, had no idea that Ted even got an extension, and wasn't even allowed to vote on that. We realize it's not everybody, but there are some players that are unhappy. It's a terrible way to start the season.

We were a little flat on both. But give Edmonton credit. It played a solid game defensively and they can take you off your game.

We've been working pretty hard at it. I think we've been a little more aggressive than we have in the past, and the coaches have been stressing that. It's going to take a pretty good play, we'd like to think, to beat us.

You have national television and you're trying to promote scoring. Calling it tight and making the calls, it's all part of it right now. As long as it's consistent and even, I guess that's all you can ask.

The only thing I can say is, I've been through the same thing and you do come back strong, you can heal strong, and come back the same player,

The only thing I can say is, I've been through the same thing, and you do come back strong and you can heal strong and come back the same player 100%. He's in great shape, and he's a hard worker, so I have no doubt he can come back and be the same player.

There are lots of guys that work just as hard in the gym as far as weight training and circuit training. I had to find something different.

The players are determined to ensure that all NHLPA members are fully and completely informed about matters relating to their membership and their futures. This is about democracy and transparency. As veteran players we want to return the Association to its members. It is our responsibility to the younger players.

Well, you can never say that. I mean, it's hindsight. But skill-wise, talent-wise, I'd say he's up there with anybody. There's no one that was better than him that I played against.

You can't count on coming back against a team like that when you're down three goals.

We wanted to play with passion and excitement, and we did that. We could have very well have won the game. We played well enough to win.

We've got a lot of guys at camp, so it's an opportunity for maybe one of them. But, they had high expectations of (Nik). You could see the way he was playing so far, what he did last year. They were depending on him a lot this year. Hopefully he'll heal quick and be here for the middle of the season and the remainder of the season and the playoffs.

We've got a lot of guys at camp, so it's an opportunity for maybe one of them,

You get your third- and fourth-line guys contributing offensively and it's a big bonus for you.

We went through Alan Eagleson days, and we were told to trust him, and the guy ended up in jail, ... We'll just leave it at that.

Everybody just wants it to be more open. I have noting against Ted.

Aside from the first game of the series we never played a full 60 minutes and it happened again tonight. I don't know why.

There's no excuse for it. We did get complacent. We had a game in total control, it was there to win, and good teams keep leads, especially this time of season.

I started with him. We were rookies together. I've known him a long time. Aside from the health issues, he probably was or is one of the greatest ever. ... As far as one-on-one skill, I don't think there's anybody better.

I wanted it to be like 40-below, wind, storm. That's the only thing that would have saved the Bears. That's what killed them was those passes. Too bad. It was a good year for them.

Ted never mentioned any of them until he got caught.

Ted is censoring the information that we want put out to the players. He has made it difficult for us to communicate.

Our confidence level should be a lot higher now after putting out a game like that (against Kazakhstan). If you look at the upsets that have happened, you realize that every country is in the thick of it. If you win a game, you are on top of the world and if you lose one, you are back in the pack. We have to worry about Slovakia and win that game.

That's half the battle, motivating the guys and holding everybody accountable. He'd be like a Mike Ditka coach, I think.

They say they're not going to go with replacements, (but) we'll see. They'll change their mind overnight.

This is the team that beat the Czechs. All the teams are good. We're disappointed with the outcome, but not the outlook.

It's a disappointing outcome again, like the first game, but I thought we played well. That's a good team.

It's not often that game is held in your home city. It will be exciting around here.

It's not his desire, it's how he can handle it physically. He hasn't told me a word.

It's one of the few things I haven't accomplished. A great way to end my career with the U.S. hockey team.

It's not too often you get a chance to be in your home city for the Super Bowl. I'm looking forward to it, anyway, the week leading up to it, all the people coming into town.

It's good to see a veteran player get a job. Great team guy. Credit to him to go back to school and get his degree. Better (to) have Stu there than some lawyer we don't know.

It's our job to get them ready and prepare them. Let them know how important each game is and really be ready off the get-go.

That's taking $90 million out of the market place for players. That lowers the market for everyone. That's going to hurt our marquee players. It's contradicting the deal we agreed to.

Everybody said it was a big concern going into the last Olympics, but the international game is not as physical as the NHL, so it's not the same. I don't think its going to be an issue at all. It wasn't the last time.

The biggest thing we stressed with (coach) Herb Brooks was that we needed to get off to a good start and to play with intensity right from the beginning of the tournament. That's the way we have to treat the Olympics. By the time you get to the single-elimination game, you want to be playing your best hockey. We are going to have to make the young guys understand that ... getting our intensity level high right from the beginning.

The biggest thing I've done is more water sports and a lot of mountain biking. I think the mountain biking took me to another level - it's all legs, and even balance.

The big concern was that nobody knew what was going on.

It was a pretty even game. I'm disappointed with the outcome, but they're a good team.

They were teaching you how to act, how to respect other players, just so you get a humble attitude. The leadership I had back then was a great learning experience.

Against a team like that, you have to get bounces. They had some opportunities in the end. We executed on our five-on-three ( Robert Lang 's winning goal was with a two-man-advantage) and they didn't. Specialty teams were a bit of a difference tonight.

If you would've said 10 years ago that I'd be playing at this level, I would've doubted it very much.

In my wildest dreams I would have never, if you had asked me 10 years ago, thought I would still be playing at this level.

His leadership in the room, obviously, has been so important,

I didn't think I would be in this position in September. I'm just thankful for another chance at an Olympic gold medal.

Good teams find a way to win and we didn't do that. We found ourselves against 5-on-3 on two occasions and you can't do that against a talented team such as Finland.

Good teams find a way to win and we didn't do that.

He's in great shape and he's a hard worker. I have no doubt he can come back and be the same player.

The energy he brought. I love a coach who has that kind of passion for hockey. It's just too bad we couldn't finish it for him.

You want to come out of that with something and we didn't. We forced them to take some penalties, it's right what you want to do, but we just didn't capitalize and it obviously cost us the game.

You watch him and he tries these things and sometimes you're shaking your head, but he pulled that off, and that was a huge goal for us.

You watched the game. It was undisciplined. It was uncharacteristic of how we have been playing and of what we wanted to do. It was very unacceptable. We had our chances.

And as far as on the ice, he gives us just that much more depth. It's going to take him a little time to get his timing, I'm sure. Hopefully, we'll get to ease him in on the power plays. ... Just let him get his feet wet here and let him get used to the speed again. It's been a struggle with him from training camp with the groin. So it's great to have him back in the lineup.