There's no doubt I'm emotional.

It's been really slow obviously, but I'm not worried about that. I feel like from where I was a couple months ago, things are a lot better. Just being able to skate and stuff was encouraging. Hopefully the next step doesn't have any hurdles.

It's not that hard to stay grounded. It's the way I was brought up.

People are going to have their opinions. Whether it's good or bad, I don't really think about it either way.

I think that everyone has an equal right to play and I think we've been supportive of that. With the Olympics and the controversy around that I think those decisions and those laws aren't necessarily something that I agree with personally ... their laws and their views.

Whether youre trying to learn in hockey or trying to learn in life, Ive always tried to be observant and tried to learn more, tried to evolve, whether its as a hockey player or as a person. With each year, I try to do that.

The best way for me to lead is through my game.