Rink Quotations

I was a serious competitive figure skater and still ice-skate as much as I can. Anyway, I once brought a date to the rink to have him experience what I was into. So all is going fine, and then - bam! - he bit it extremely hard! Skate time was over. His bruises were scary. I felt so bad.

I used to be a shopper before I had children. I'd go to Bergdorf and Barneys all the time. But now my weekends are spent differently. I go to the skating rink or the park, not the stores.

When we come to the rink we're having fun, but we also expect to win, ... That's a great mentality to have.

Through my skating, I've learned so much about myself. My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life. I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as adult athletes.

We'd go down to the rink and work out in the morning and have lunch and talk a lot about the team, ... We played a lot of golf. Tony's and my sons were on the same team and we helped coach them. We also helped coach Tony's boy on his high school team, so we were around the rink a lot.

When I came back on the rink in 2012, I set a goal of wrapping up my career well rather than just winning medals. I'm not preparing for any special skills for Sochi because I don't feel like they are necessary.

When things are not going right, we have to still come to the rink and love it. That's not a time to be hanging our heads.

There are times when this team, we don't come with the energy we'd like. We've got to come to the rink and play 60 minutes every night or else we're not going to win a lot of games. We know that as a team.

Last year's team was if not the best, right up there in the history of the tournament. This year, every player is going to have to bring to the rink their A games to be successful. Brent has that unique ability to make sure every player has their A game for every game.

Simple philosophy: be on time, come to the rink ready to play. And we pretty much did that all the time and pretty much learned as we went.

Mike was a rink rat as a kid. This shows there is much more to hockey than just playing.

My attitude was to show up to the rink and figure that things would happen from there, ... I thought all you had to do was play hockey. But Gary Roberts changed everything for me.

More than anything, when you go to a new team, it's just trying to get a feel for the guys and find your niche on the team. That's what's more important than X's and O's, it's getting comfortable with the city. Things like knowing where the rink is and where the grocery store is.

Obviously I had butterflies coming in here, in the rink and before the game. It was a good start for me. I had a chance to make the first few saves (and) the team scored the first goal. After that the confidence was there.

I would consider that to be an advantage -- in that we don't have to travel, and the rink is five minutes from our district. We expect a very high turnout from our community, and even though they had a lot of fans at their game in their district, we'll see how committed their fans are.

I feel the atmosphere inside the ice rink was going up, so it was like a stone fell off my shoulders when we finished. It was just more concentration on the skating. Maybe that looks like I am really nervous, but it is not that.

I don't remember the game but I know I was at the rink that day.

We can get 300-400 people here in Walter Brown. Knowing the bounces, playing in our own rink and the crowd noise from the fans help everybody play better.

We took a different approach, doing some off-ice stuff. The players would rather do that than come to the rink and get skated. We had a little laugh, a little team bonding and it really showed tonight. We had lots of energy early.

We've got to go to bed ready to get up and play. When we get to the rink, it's the same thing. Get there, get ready to go out and have fun. It's a great place to go play. It's the best rink in the league. We should be excited to get out there and play.

Hockey's our national sport and I think most people you talk to have their story about when they played in the backyard rink or on the pond.

He's going to be a stud. You can just see it. He's excited to be at the rink every day. He does everything at the fastest tempo that he possibly can and God does he pound the puck. He's leading our team in shots in the preseason by a wide margin. It isn't like he's Bobby Orr leading the attack, he gets it at the point, he pounds it and he hits the net. Good things happen when you are doing that.

I think the main thing is we are pretty similar personality-wise off the ice. We're both pretty low key. We don't get to high or too low at any point at all. We like coming to the rink and having fun. It's easy to come in and talk to him and see what's going on. He talks about kids. He tells me what's going on. It's just a real easy relationship.

I think the best solution would be to get these 700 guys in a rink somewhere and get them to vote on this, individually and confidentially.

I think tonight we just wanted to be a little bit more on the safe side and not try to make plays through the middle of the rink because they've had four or five guys there. Most games are going to be won in your own end and special teams and I think we were pretty good in both areas. We just tried to keep them to the outside and not give them any odd-man rushes.

Our team really hasn't faced much adversity at all this year, especially in the second half. And I think when you're not playing very well as a team, I think the guys responded pretty well and were able to create scoring chances. They kept at it in a tough rink to play in, and we got the tying goal and we were able to end up winning the game.

Our rink is the best place to play in the league. We've gotten used to the smaller ice and it's a huge advantage to us. Our fans are the best fans in the league by far. They're vocal. They're in your face. I love playing here. I wouldn't want to play anywhere else.

Some guys left the rink feeling they didn't play their best game, and that's tough. It didn't happen. We didn't get in synch. All year we've had a tough time when we don't score the first goal. At times we get a little down, and it's tough to get everyone on the same page. We would have loved to get to the semifinals, so that's disappointing. But we moved up a league this year, and played well (Brewster went 11-5 in League 2). Four of our losses were by one goal. So overall, the kids shouldn't be disappointed. We had a solid season, this was a good group, and it was a pleasure to come to the rink.

My husband would get the hose out to make that rink every year -- it even had nice banks made of snow.

It'd be awesome. You think of having a chance to win a banner and having it up in the rink forever is pretty cool. Guys know how much this game means.

I think I've seen him a couple of times on the other side of the rink in the last week, week and a half.

It hasn't been easy for sure. I was on the phone with every single rink nearby, anyplace within reasonable driving distance.

I wasn't sure if I was going to play today -- I came to the rink and found out. It was exciting to play in front of this many people. ... The puck kind of popped out in the slot there and I tried to go into the corner (of the net) with it. It feels good to help out.

We drive to the rink every day. He's a great kid. Just happy to have him on the team.

We need to try not to stretch the defense across the entire rink. We have to work from the middle of the rink out.

We haven't done anything special for the playoffs, but it is everything we do at and away from the rink that gets us ready. It's how we conduct ourselves and being responsible . . . from what we eat to getting enough sleep. Games hinge on one or two plays, so we put ourselves in the best position we can.

The reality of the game was what happened last night. Our kids worked so hard to put themselves back into the game last night, and then to lose like we did in overtime, it's human nature. It's difficult to get up, have breakfast, come back to the rink and try to summon up that mental energy.

We were walking into the rink on the second day of tryouts and he told me just before we went on the ice. It was one of those moments when everything freezes and the world just seems to be spinning around you.

We come to the rink and expect to win every night, and that's what we've done all year. It's more than proving people wrong, it's proving ourselves right, that we are a good team.

When my dad was playing in Winnipeg in '72-I was about 8 years old-he took me to my first outdoor rink in the winter. My feet were so cold, and then it gets even more excruciating once they start to thaw. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever had.

This rink here is phenomenal and the way that the office staff treats us is professional,

We've played 33 games now. I think we averaged right around this every year (at North Dakota). But it's kind of a different schedule. There are so many games, you don't really think about it. You just come to the rink and it's, 'Oh, we've got a game tonight.' It's just routine now.

The other night, we had to open all the doors during the short track to cool it off. The crowd, the body heat, the lights -- it was all warming the rink up.

There is not a hockey rink in this country worth more than $5 million,

We've been talking to rink operators across the country who've said they've noticed a difference in the number of days you can play outside.

Were very pleased to have Lauri under contract at this time. Kings fans will enjoy his robust style of play. He brings a nice mix of skill and determination to the rink each night. We look forward to him to his continued development in our organization.

We wanted an opportunity to come back to the rink (today) and prepare for another game. That's what our focus was tonight. We had a real tough task against a real good Michigan team. We had leads of two, three and even four goals, but against that team and the weapons that they have, you really never feel comfortable.

Every single player, especially the young guys, should look at the way Luc carries himself. He comes to the rink with a smile and most times, he leaves with a big smile. He really has a love for the game.

There's not a guy in our dressing room who feels down and upset. I mean, obviously, we're disappointed we didn't come out and get the win in the first game. But we have a job to do and that's to get the split (of the first two games). Get the split in their rink and go back to ours and the Fort Wayne fans will lead us to two victories.

(There's) nothing better than playing in a rink where the fans are loud and making a bunch of noise. It makes it a more exciting, more intense game, one you like to be part of. How do we know until we get there (how things will be)? I'm optimistic that hopefully (the fans) will be able to forget about the dark days we put them through for a whole year and come back and enjoy it.

The rink is much smaller than the standard Olympic size so it's hard to skate perfectly, but I think we did okay.

The rink is much smaller than standard Olympic size, so it's hard to skate perfectly. We've only had two practices at this rink before today.

It was an exciting season. In past years we had been dominating and blowing teams out. It was fun to show up to the rink and know you had to play your best every night.

I used to stay up all night long. I worked from 11 at night until 7 in the morning, making the ice and cleaning a rink in Wilmington, Del. If it's something you want to do, the fatigue is less important. That job paid the bills and enabled me to skate.

I wanted to come down here and have a good start. That didn't happen against Rochester and I was disappointed about that. It was big for me to get on the right track on Friday. I'm just looking for some stability. Not knowing where I was going to be was hard. Hopefully, this will make it easier to come to the rink and focus on the ice.

Sometimes when you're pressing, you squeeze the stick too hard and instead of a goal you have a handful of sawdust. A big team effort and victory erases all of that. It's nice to get off this little slide we were on. Our mindset will be so much different. They know how hard things have been and it's nice to see them leave the rink with a well-deserved smile.

Sometimes in this game, you have to have a short memory. You have to leave it at the rink and leave it alone. We're excited to be in the playoffs and to be playing at home in the playoffs.

Seeing the game from the goalie's perspective is a huge plus for coverage. The goalie cam fits our philosophy of taking viewers inside the glass as much as possible. This is why we're so interested in the new rail cam being developed by NHL, although not every rink can accommodate it.

Right now we're focusing on us. I think we know from the past that they come at you with pressure. It's high tempo and it's an intimidating rink to play in. It's almost like the seventh man on the ice, their crowd, and they match that with their skill. They will try to bury you right away.

Anybody can recognize talent. You can go into a junior rink and see who stands out. What happens after that? Does a kid have what it takes to take the next step? Some do. A lot don't.

The building that has been the museum's home since 1938 was never designed for that purpose. It was originally a cavernous convention center and hockey rink that despite the outstanding efforts of museum staff and volunteers over the years, has been a difficult space in which to produce exhibits.

As long as I can stay healthy and keep doing that, hopefully I'll keep playing. You want to come to the rink feeling good about yourself.

This is a small rink and we knew that we could shut them down in the neutral zone. That was just a good high school hockey game.

This is a player who missed a lot of hockey the last couple of years. To think that he can come back like Superman and save the day, we're not thinking like that at all. We want him consistently healthy, where he can come to the rink without feeling any pain.

A lot of times with the width of the rink you have bad angles ... you're always looking to pass the puck because you think somebody's going to be in a better position (to shoot). It's a better play in our league to throw it at the net and scramble things up. That's something he'll learn with a little more experience.

They're always a hardworking team, whether it's in their rink or our rink, ... They did extremely well in the second half last year, and I think that's going to carry over into this year.

It's a shame. It's such a good sports city and I remember playing during the playoffs and the rink was really loud. It's a shame, you see games on television now and there's hardly anybody in the stands.

It's a shame it's not bigger in Danville. It's a shame there's no hockey rink and more time to play, because we certainly could develop these kids a lot more. The interest is there, I guess just the money isn't.

It's a unique building having been a skating rink and a well-known Ream's grocery store. There's nostalgia associated with it.

It's a fun time. You come to the rink with something on the line every night.

It's an unbelievable story. He became a hockey player by default. He didn't live at the rink, wasn't a rink rat. Goes to (the University of Minnesota) Duluth - not a major hockey school. Everything that happened with Brett is not the standard; it's unique. No way is it the way you picture it with the son of a hockey player.

It's an unbelievable story, ... He became a hockey player by default. He didn't live at the rink, wasn't a rink rat. Goes to (the University of Minnesota) Duluth - not a major hockey school. Everything that happened with Brett is not the standard; it's unique. No way is it the way you picture it with the son of a hockey player.

It's like a seven-acre skating rink of snowy dirt.

It's fun to watch guys like that. You can't do that just by showing up a couple days a week and being real recreational about it. You got to train, especially at that age. You've got to prepare and be around the rink a lot of hours. I give them a lot of credit.

It's so much fun in the locker room. Guys enjoy coming to the rink and we're showing it on the ice. Everything is coming together for us.

It?s definitely a neat experience. I never had a chance to skate at this rink because they just opened it up last January. It?s good to get out there and skate on it. But just to come back to Boston and see the old coaches is a good experience and it brings back some good feelings.

It's a matter of can we play on the road with what could arguably be the best team in the league. Can we go into their rink and continue to play the way we have to play regardless of the venue and get the job done? We'll see.

I've got to deal with it, that's the situation I'm in right now. I try not to think about it, but a lot of people talk to me about it. You have to block it out. I'm reading the newspaper, I'm focusing every day on going to the rink and making the best out of it. If you think about that stuff, that's where you go crazy.

They were very excited after the win. They've been on the ice since December 1st. It's been six weeks of hard work without any positive results. Now they're excited to come to the rink and work even harder.

It's not about wins or losses right now. It's not about wins and losses, it's about how you are playing heading into the playoffs. I think we all want to do better. I think we all feel frustrated when we don't play our best. Everyone leaves the rink disappointed.

That's always tough to swallow, especially in your home rink. Things have to change. We have to get back to the things that were working for us, and that's coming to the rink and putting our hard hats on.

Every time you go to the rink and get ready for the season, it weighs on your mind,

I'm getting close to the game I want to play over here, ... It's not just the smaller rink that's different, it's how they play. In Sweden, a lot of players are good passers, good skaters. They hold on to the puck more. There's a lot more dump and chase over here. They go for the net and shoot. If they find an opening over here, they'll hit it.

I had so much fun coming to the rink day after day, ... I wish no one had to do this because it's so hard; it's hard because you never think you're going to grow older and be unable to live up to the expectations you set for yourself. I just thank everyone who ever touched my life in the game.

I had so much fun coming to the rink day after day,

I'm a total rink rat. I can do the toe loop, the lutz, a flip, and the Scholz. That's one I invented. It's like me - you jump, you rotate in the wrong direction, and you land on the wrong foot.

In the K.H.L., you're even more patient at your position because the rink is so big, you cannot play that way.

I haven't played a game in over a month, so I'd like to get a few more practices in. I'll come to the rink (Tuesday), skate, see how it is and evaluate it as every day goes by.

I think our guys are building their confidence right now. Obviously we played hard and very well in a hostile atmosphere, as hostile as anywhere you are going to play. Our fight now is to bring that game back to our home rink and transfer that effort to Michigan State.

Being surrounded by hockey, I got forced into it as a kid. I started skating when I was 4 and had a rink only 10 minutes from my home. In my town, we had one outdoor rink and one indoor rink, so you could skate all year long. I lived by a lake, too, so we did a lot of skating on the lake.

Because it's an improvement. As long as I'm improving, I'm pretty happy if it's a world record or a rink record.

I am an arena creature - by birth, I think. Most of my life has been spent as a rink rat.

Chris brings a great deal of experience and passion to the rink every day. He's been a great Red Wing, he's in excellent shape, and no matter what his age, you know he can play at a very high level.

He's symbolic of what our team stands for. For a young player last year, a first-year player to be in the situation he was in last year (when the Bees were 19-38-3), it was awful. It wasn't fun to play hockey. It wasn't fun for anybody to go to the rink last year. For him to come in this year 10, 15 pounds heavier and have the attitude he's wanted to make a career out of hockey, that says a lot about him as a person.

Home-ice advantage would be huge. It's a smaller rink and the fans are unbelievable. Teams have a tough time playing here. So it's especially important for us.

You could go into the Boston rink and guys would get assists sitting on the bench. They'd throw them out like candy. ... Now it's more precise. Now they video it and replay it. I think the players too say, 'I didn't touch that' or 'It was his.' Because a lot of times you can't tell if it ticks a stick or just goes by.