"I have had referees say, 'You don't want to get a reputation like Darcy Tucker of Theo Fleury.'"
- Mike Comrie of the Edmonton Oilers admits to temptation to dive.
"Anybody that doesn't think the organization did the right thing by trading Pavel, if they spent five minutes in the dressing room, they wouldn't be speaking negatively about the trade. Everyone that's been around him knows what he brings to the table - that's goals, and that's it."
- Florida goaltender Trevor Kidd, on the trade that sent Pavel Bure to the Rangers.
"When you're losing, Jaromir Jagr is the worst guy in the world to be around because he acts like a suck."
- A former teammate of Jagr's.
"I'm heartbroken. I just expected so much more. My patience is not very long, nor is the patience of our fans. We said we needed a right-handed shot at center. So we got [Robert] Lang. We said we needed grit and speed, so we got [Mike] Grier. We said we needed to get healthy. We did. We said we need a player-friendly coach and we got one."
"I'm back at AOL and I'm working like a mad man. I expect the same of them. This should be a shot across the bow. I'm hopeful that they wake up. But if they don't, my loyalty is to the fans and not to the players. Changes will be made."
- Washington Capitals' owner Ted Leonsis gets an expensive lesson in the mysteries of assembling a hockey team.
"It's an insult to every parent who has taken their kids to minor hockey at 5:30 in the morning to play hockey. Just like their parents had done for them. You probably had a lot of kids come over from Canada tonight who had a game or practice at 7 in the morning and came down to watch tonight. That's an embarrassment to the game and an embarrassment to come out and play like that."
- Los Angeles coach Andy Murray, on the message he delivered to the team after a dismal loss in Detroit.
"There's no question if someone's in trouble - or if a 6-foot-4 guy is beating the s**t out of a guy 5-foot-9. With two big guys, if they slow down you ask: 'Have you had enough?' If they say no you just let 'em go. If they say yes, or nod, you step in. They have a job to do, but they don't want to kill each other. In March 1990, (Detroit's) Bob Probert broke my nose in a fight with (Chicago's) Bob McGill. He just kept whaling, and my blood was everywhere."
- Veteran NHL linesman Gerard Gauthier on breaking up fights.
"It's always been the policy of the Molson Centre, and prior to that of the Forum, that signs are permitted at all events as long as they don't convey a message that is in bad taste. It's a judgment call, but having said that, we have very experienced and very professional staff who deal with this type of situation every day. Security staff will sometimes remove signs if they think it can become a source of friction between groups of fans. We do it whether it's aimed at the Canadiens, the visitors or anyone else."
- Montreal Canadiens' spokesman Donald Beauchamp, after a fan was ordered to remove signs criticizing defenseman Patrice Brisebois. The signs included the messages "Brise-boo" and "$17 million waste."
"What, you're not allowed to say a millionaire hockey player is overpaid any more?"
- Al Penta, the man with the signs, is unimpressed.
"Good goaltenders will make me a good coach and that goes for anybody in the league."
- Nashville Predators' coach Barry Trotz.
"I don't mind having a four-goals-against average if everybody does."
- Tomas Vokoun, who became the Predators' number-one goalie following the trade of Mike Dunham.
