Mike Richter Quotations

Thank you for inviting me here for Mark Messier night, sponsored by Kleenex.

His personality is so big, it was a perfect marriage to New York. He came here and hockey players normally aren't that big and Mark transcended hockey. He was a compelling figure whether you liked sports or whether you liked hockey itself.

We all love to see excellence as a fan, and I am a fan now watching excellence in the Rangers net.

I remember what Ron Greschner said when he retired. 'The thing I'm going to miss most is showering with 23 guys.' And that's what it's all about: camaraderie.

Most fans go wild when they see a goalie make what looks like a great save, but the chances are what they are seeing is a save that was made from being out of position.

Look at it this way: if winning wasn't so hard, it wouldn't feel so good.

You're really playing against yourself. You have to learn what you can control and what you can't, and not let what you can't control affect your confidence.

He approached every game the way you should approach every game and he really tried to help others out. Not just by example, he would tell you. I remember being young and asking him about going through rough streaks and say this is what I'm doing. Mark didn't have to be a goalie to be able to relate to what I was going through. He was an athlete and a competitor and he could give you advice.

I've never met anyone who's a bigger fan of other people's success than him. I think that's a unique thing to his personality and that's an empowering thing, particularly to the young guys in the organization. He is interested in how people are doing and not just as a team, but personally and what contributions they are making and what he can do to make them better. It sounds unimportant, but it's a really subtle and special thing that comes from him.

We are a polite people. You'll find Chicago to be a very friendly town. There won't be anything physical, but you can expect a little verbal harassment coming your way.