Ron Francis Quotes

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.

My goal was to play in the NHL, because that is the best hockey in the world.

Anyone who plays in the NHL dreams to win the Stanley Cup and I dreamed as well to be one of them and raise the cup in Washington and bring it home to Moscow and celebrate with my friends and my parents.

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.

Since the beginning, I always loved the game. When you grow up in Montreal, one day you want to be a professional hockey player. When I was six or seven, I knew that was what I wanted.

I was impressed all my life. Because of the Montreal Canadiens' past, it means a lot because it was a team I cherished as a kid. It was my dream playing for the Montreal Canadiens - it was my dad's team.

Listen, everything I have in my life is because of the NHL and because of hockey, and I love the game and I loved every minute of being a player, I loved coaching, I loved being involved in the NHL.

I still love playing the game, and it's amazing we can do this as a so-called 'job,' and it's amazing we can come to the rink every day and play the game we love.

I started playing for the Flames at 19 but even in minor hockey I remember traveling to Calgary for tournaments, from St. Albert, and I imagined playing in the Saddledome.

I played on a line with Theo Fleury and German Titov, and I was actually center on their line.

I think it would be unbelievable to play in the NHL as an 18-year-old.

I hope one day I will be able to play in a game in the NHL, not just practice.

I grew up trying to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn't even know it existed.

It's an honour and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.

It's been a great honor for me to be a player for the Detroit Red Wings, to play for an Original Six franchise. I know I'm far from perfect, but I learned a lot.

It's been a good hockey life for me anyway.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a professional hockey player.

I think any time you play your first NHL game, you remember that.

I was lucky enough to have a hockey career in the NHL.

I was fortunate to have talent, play on a good team and make the NHL.

It's a big step to be drafted. Ultimately, it's everybody's dream. That's where you start thinking about making the team, maybe about winning the Stanley Cup.

None of the boys from my town made it in the N.H.L.

I played professional hockey in Europe. I played in the German third league and the Dutch elite league.

I remember starting hockey at age 7 and going to my first tryout and dreaming about how great it would be, and it's been even better. These 20 years in the NHL, it's been better.

That's what they hired me to do in Washington, change a little bit of the culture, try to win a Stanley Cup.