Canada’s coach Dave King and U.S. coach Dave Peterson came to watch me when I was in college at Duluth. Because I was born in Canada, they had first dibs. Dave King said I was no good. Team USA asked if I would like to play for the world championship team in 1985. I’m a sophomore in college and they asked me to play. I had no career. I said, “Are you kidding? I would love that.”
They always call me a traitor in Canada. You guys dumped me.
My father was my hockey hero. I loved Gilbert Perreault. It’s funny, all the players I really liked, I never played like.
People don’t realize there was never a strain in the relationship. It was just that for a long time it was a relationship of distance. I was living with my mother, so I didn’t see my father almost at all.
My memories of Chicago are running around Chicago Stadium and going down around the back and watching the other team walk up the stairs. My most vivid memory is the Rangers. Must’ve been the uniforms. Rod Gilbert, No. 7.
When I was a kid, all I did was go out and play street hockey and baseball, play sports with my brothers and my friends. My 10-year-old son knows how to type, he knows how to work the Internet.
But you know what? They’re sedentary. It’s hard to get my kid to come out and go in the pool. “I’m watching this TV show.”
I got a couple years left. I’d like to get 800 goals in the NHL.(1)
I’d be ticked if I didn’t score, and people would go, “He’s selfish. He’s mad he didn’t score.” Don’t you understand? If I do what I’m supposed to do and score, it’s not 3-2, it’s 4-2 and the game’s easier the last 10 minutes. It’s not because I’m selfish, you morons.
To score the goal to win it(2) and to fulfill that missing piece of the puzzle–I get goosebumps talking about that goal right now.
When I signed with Dallas, they(3) called, and I don’t know who said what, but they kept saying, “$7 million’s too much.” I said, “I don’t want $7 million. I don’t think that’s a fair number. It’s too much.” I try to be realistic about my work. I said I don’t want $7 million, and it just didn’t go anywhere.
Being very good friends with Wayne Gretzky is one of the greatest privileges of my life.
There’s no need for some of the players to be making what they’re making. There has to be some sort of happy ground where there’s a maximum salary that your best player can make, and if you want to pay all of them that, then go ahead.
Hockey would be better if the attitude from owners to manager to coaches was not one of fear of losing but an excitement around building a team to entertain the fans.
I’m a front-runner. I love Tiger Woods. I love A-Rod.
I don’t care what anyone says about the Yankees. You know what, if you can’t afford to be an owner of a team, then sell your team.
I met Mr. Bush in St.Louis at Hale Irwin’s golf tournament. He signed a book of presidents to my son. He and Barbara are the nicest people in the world. I met George Jr. at the White House after we won the Cup. I told him, “Good luck,” and he looks at me and he shook my hand and goes, “Don’t you worry, Brett. You’re on the right side.”
My whole life–I’ve gotten to go places, do things, meet people–I never imagined this, are you kidding me?
(1): He has 741.
(2): The Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.
(3): The Blackhawks. Hull signed with the Stars for three years, $17 million.
