“I hit him, but no different than I hit 100 other guys. I was as shocked as anybody when he went down. I didn’t think he was hurt. I hit him in the shoulder, and the flat part of the shaft came up and struck him in the face. What happened was not intended. I have done some mean things. I’m not going to lie. I went out of the league the same way I came in, scrapping, fighting for my space, fighting to make it.”

Sharks commentator Marty McSorley comments on the incident where he struck Donald Brashear in the head with his stick several seasons back.

“It is heart-breaking. For a guy who plays his heart out and has, in my opinion, had a fu*#ing pretty solid first half of the season…”

Toronto Maple Leafs Mats Sundin stands up for his goalie, Andrew Raycroft, who was jeered by the crowd in the closing minutes of the Leafs’ worst home loss of the season - a 6-1 trouncing by the Canucks.

“There’s no question Vancouver’s got a great goaltender [in Roberto Luongo]. They are the New Jersey of the West in a lot of ways—they trap you to death.”

Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray has an unflattering opinion of Vancouver Canucks.

“I won’t talk about Mike Keenan [former Panther coach and GM].”

Florida’s Jay Bouwmeester utters words said a thousand times by NHL players scattered all over the ex-teams of Mad Mike.

“Ultimately, it’s our plan to come back. We want the girls to grow up here. I don’t want them to be part of the whole L.A. culture. It’s too weird, too body-obsessed, celebrity-crazy. It’s not a normal place. I don’t fit in at all down there. I’m short, I have dark hair and they’re real.”

Jennifer Burke, media personality and wife of Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke, talks about the couple’s future plans to eventually retire in Vancouver. (And apparently, they’re real!)

“You guys always like to call it a slump. It’s your job. I would call it a stretch of results we are not used to.”

Buffalo Sabres’ own Ales Kotalik takes offense at the suggestion the Sabres are “slumping.” (Full marks to Kotalik for pointing out the power of semantics…)

“That’s what makes him special. All good players are arrogant and cocky. You have to have a little edge, and he has it. He’s got a gift. I know he’s 19 and I’m 33, but I still respect him as a player.”

New York Islanders’ Jason Blake defends foe Sidney Crosby from criticism of his on-ice behavior.