Joe Thornton

Boston is the first major city I ever lived in. I spent eight great years there and I grew up there. I wouldn't change it for anything.

I care deeply for Patty. He has the biggest heart and an infectious laugh when he laughs. He has a great sense of humor. You just hope that you're allowed to have a friend like Patrick Marleau because it really is special.

It's one of those things that when you hear about the games played by Gordie Howe, you think it's one of those things that's untouchable. He was part of the League for so long. You wouldn't have dreamed of anybody touching that milestone. So when you're beating one of Mr. Hockey's records, it's impressive.

When you see pictures of Gordie even at 50, you could see he was just a powerful man. You see Patty Marleau and he's built too. He's very durable because he's so strong, very flexible, but ultimately he puts in the work during the offseason. He doesn't take a day off and he's always trying to get better. He never takes a second off.

Sure, I'd like to play until I'm 40 and even maybe a bit older.

I remember being one of the younger guys and one of the older guys would say, 'Hey, boys, you got to enjoy the moment, enjoy the ups and downs, because it goes by real fast.' You never really register that. You're just in the moment.

You get a rib injury and it hurts to breathe. If you sneeze, you think you're gonna die.

Playing in the NHL, year by year, you learn to deal with things a little better.

I put more pressure on me than anyone else in Boston or on Team Canada.

As I get older, I think I'm going to continue to be a better player and a better captain.

As I get older, I think there's going to be more pressure on me, and there should be.

Obviously, when you don't win, things have to change.

I like practicing every day, you get better by practicing.

Hockey players are a different breed.

I played my heart out for the Bruins every shift, and that's all you can ask for.

You can't please everybody. If you please 70 percent of the people, that's all you can hope for.

I thought I was going to be a Bruin my whole career, so it was really tough to leave. But you just have to pick up and move on, and I've done that.

I like winning games.

I've never been a guy who is really wound up and out to prove people wrong.

In the summer, I would play street hockey every day with my cousins and my brothers. And in the winter we'd play on the backyard rink.

I remember all the older guys, when I started playing, telling me how fast it all goes by. I remember being an 18-year-old and going, 'Whoa, this is the NHL. And it just flies right by, so just enjoy every day.'

You need somebody to be firm with you and hard on you and watch you progress.

As a young player, you really don't know if players look up to you, and maybe you're not sure how to be in the locker room.

Nothing comes easy in life.

Now, as a 29-year-old, you're a little bit different than a 26-year-old. But I actually felt really comfortable in Boston. I felt that I was one of the best players in the league at the time. I thought Boston was going to be the home for me for the rest of my career.

The shootout after overtime is a great idea, so nobody goes home with a tie.

It's an honor playing in this League and I have always felt that.

If you asked me in my first year would I ever get to my 1,000th game - I thought just getting to 100 would be amazing.

I feel the sky is the limit for myself.

In a day when you can kind of choose where you can play, Northern California is the place for me.

Really, who thinks of living in California as a Canadian kid? You just don't. Now when I go home to Canada to play a game, I am like, 'This weather here sucks.' I used to love it as a kid, but now it's like, 'Wow let's get back to California now.'

I have a big frame to fend off some defenders and buy some time as I wait for guys to get open.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm just coming out and playing my game.

I'm trying to help out with the power play and work hard every night. I'm not the miracle worker.

I've played with a lot of good goal scorers in my career and a lot of good players.

I want to be captain.

I was a shy kid and really didn't know how to express myself.

Growing up close to Detroit, my brother is a huge Red Wing fan, my dad was a huge Gordie fan.

With a team that's tight, that's close, we enjoy playing for each other. And it's going to find success.

Without the red line, I think it's going to be a lot more exciting game, and I think you're going to get more scoring chances.

I've been lucky to play with so many great players, to be coached by so many great coaches and lucky enough to be healthy enough for so many years.

As a line I think you have to work as a three-man unit.

As a line I think you've always got to constantly talk. You talk about playing for each other.

Obviously, being a hockey fan, I always bought all of the hockey games, so that makes this 'NHL 2K7' cover even more special to me.

I've been playing hockey games since the Sega Genesis way back when.

I wake up every morning and say, 'I get to go play hockey.' It really is that cool for me.

I don't know how many years I can play, but I want to retire as a Shark.

For a passer that's probably the key, having the Jonathan Cheechoos, the Glen Murrays, the Joe Pavelskis, the Patty Marleaus, the list goes on and on and on the guys that I've played with over the years who put the puck in the back of the net.

I've lived and breathed hockey my entire life.

I've been a hockey fan since '84, probably.