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MY FAVORITE MEMORIES Final Thoughts From Those Who Make Our Game Great Over the years, USA Hockey Magazine has had a center ice seat to some of the biggest events in hockey history. Along the way, its staff of writers and editors have enjoyed the privilege of speaking with some of the biggest names in the sport. Their words are as much a part of our sport's great history as their amazing feats on and off the ice. "We can compete with anybody and we're a threat to anybody. From where we started to this point I feel pretty good about what we've done. I'd like to think we've had something to do with that but most of the credit goes to the 1980 Team because of what they accomplished." —Chris Chelios, who played on four U.S. Olympic Teams "You join soccer because your parents want you in it, you stay with hockey because you like it." —T.C. Lewis, rink operator in Houston and long-time USA Hockey board member "He was one of the most positive people that I've ever been around. Nothing ever got him down. If he lost a game 7-1 he'd say that he was in it right until the end." —USA Hockey pioneer Art Berglund talking about his good friend Bob Johnson "We need to look at what Europe is doing to get better and try to get better ourselves. We need to make some changes and that can only be good for the game. Tolstoy once said, "Everybody wants to change the world, but they don't want to change themselves." So, we all have to change our thinking and focus on getting our kids better." —Herb Brooks, the architect of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" "It's a great day for hockey." —Bob Johnson "Bill Cleary likes to say that I was nervous on the bench. Heck, I flew planes in the war. Why would I get nervous in a hockey game after going through something like that where you don't know if you're going to make it back or not? So don't give me that BS about how nervous I was during the game." —Jack Riley, head coach of the gold-medal winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team "To be acknowledged by this group, I just think it's an unequal bargain. I should be giving USA Hockey an award. I feel that I'm the person who's in debt here." —Brian Burke, who received the Distinguished Achievement Award at the 2010 USA Hockey Annual Congress "In 1986 I was a slow little fat kid at Minnesota-Duluth trying to figure out where I'm going, both in my life and my hockey career. USA Hockey invited me to play at the World Championship when no one else was interested. They set my career in motion, they gave me an opportunity to find out who I was and what I can do in the sport. I've never forgotten that. I wouldn't be here without USA Hockey." —Brett Hull, who finished his Hall of Fame career with 741 regular season goals, placing him third all-time for most career goals in the NHL 62 USA Hockey 75TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM