Growing up in Canada, most kids from Canada dream of playing in the NHL, and they also hope one day to be on a Stanley Cup team. That was a big goal.
I grew up trying to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn't even know it existed.
I always played hockey, I was always a hockey fan, but I was never bitten by the hockey bug... I never looked into playing it professionally.
When I got drafted I just wanted to play one game in the NHL. I didn't really care anything about winning.
But once I left home to play hockey, it was a commitment to be the best I could be and try to make the NHL.
Maybe playing in the NHL would be pretty nice, but that's more of a pipe dream for me.
I was always a decent hockey player, but I'd have never made the NHL.
I dreamed of being an NHLer the first day I played. Sometimes the other kids would say there are not many black players in the N.H.L. So I really followed as many black players as I could.
