I'm not 21 and trying to prove something with my words.

In the U.S., you have so many rules, everything's regulated and structured. When you make a mistake, you pay for it -a lot.

For me, it is the worst kind of sacrilege if you are given some of special talent and you don't take advantage of this gift.

People judge you by the way you play in the playoffs.

It's tough in the NHL; you have to produce on a high level. And everybody expects you to do it because you make a lot of money. And I never minded it. I always want to be that guy.

Most people have friends, but no money. I have the opposite. I don't have a chance to talk to my real friends, the ones I've had since I was 5 years old. Sometimes I wish I could bring Czechoslovakia to America. Then I would be the happiest guy in the world.

I'm not 21 and trying to prove something with my words.