Thank you guys, thank you very much. (JAGR! JAGR! chants start).
I gotta say, what a weekend so far. It’s beautiful… so far. I had a practice with the team, I was pretty good, let me tell you. I was pretty good. I had a dinner with the boys, thank you guys. Today, all the highlights, videos, goals, even the hair… great memories.
I remember my first coach, Bob Johnson, always said today, it’s a great day for hockey. I’m going to use that, I’m going to change it a little bit. I’m going to say, it’s a great day for me!
To be here with you, hearing the cheers, I don’t even have to score. That’s beautiful. That never gets old. But I’m honored. I’m honored that Pittsburgh Penguins owners, Pittsburgh Penguins organization, and (Penguins President of Business Operations) Kevin Acklin have decided to retire my jersey, No. 68.
I believe the connection between me and Pittsburgh started a long time ago. I always believe in God, and I always believe in a higher power, and I always believed whatever you wish for is gonna happen. When I was young, I was watching the TV, and there was one guy totally dominating the game, and he was better than the rest of them. Since that game, he became my idol. I wanted to be like him. I make a wish. I wish one day, we play together. Yes, it was Mario Lemieux. And it happened, 1990. I got drafted by Pittsburgh Penguins, thanks to Craig Patrick and Scotty Bowman, all the scouts. They put a great team together, all the superstars, all the legends. We were playing such great hockey, and at the end of the year, we won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. It was probably the greatest thing to happen to me.
I would like to say thanks to Pittsburgh Penguins organization, they draft me. Maybe recognize my talent, give me a chance and opportunity to play the great game of hockey here in the NHL for such a long time. Thank you, Pittsburgh Penguins. A big thanks go to you guys, all of you (points to fans). The fans. The fans in Pittsburgh, people in Pittsburgh… since my first day when I got drafted here until the last day I got traded (playful boos and laughs)… it happened, it happened, yep. I was 18 years old and I couldn’t speak English, so it was very tough for me. But you guys make it a lot more easy for me, and I really appreciate that.
The whole 11 years I’ve been here, it was amazing. I’m probably gonna say, it was probably the best years of my life. So, thank you for that. Thanks to you, I’m proud and happy to say that Pittsburgh Penguins is my second home. Thank you.
Look at those guys here. Guys, I wouldn’t be standing… or even other side, management, coaches… I wouldn’t be standing here right now. I know that, you guys know that. There’s no chance. Hockey’s a team game, and without the help, you have no chance to accomplish anything, absolutely anything. I learned so much from you guys, maybe you don’t even realize it. I learned how to handle the losses, I learned how to stay humble when we win, I learned how to work hard. But the most important thing what I learn is, if you want to win something, you want to play together, you have to play together. That’s what we did, and that’s why we won. Thank you.
I don’t know if we have time or not, but it’s my day, so I should make it as long as I want (crowd laughs, roars, and claps). You guys showed me the respect, to come here and be here with me. I just want to show the respect back. I was thinking, ‘how am I going to do it.’ I just want to read all the names. I want to say thank you, and I’m going to start with thank you Scotty Bowman, Eddie Johnston, Craig Patrick.
And the players. I already mentioned Mario. Thank you, Mario. Thank you Ron Francis, we probably played together more than anybody else. You were my centerman, you were always there for me when I need it. Joey Mullen, Phil Bourque. Bourquie, thank you for everything you showed me. You showed me Pittsburgh, you showed me all the bars, you were party animal, let me tell you! So is you, Kevin Stevens! Ulf Samuelsson, thank you Ulfie. Ulfie asked me to say something nice about him yesterday. I was thinking all night, and I couldn’t think of anything. I couldn’t. I’m just kidding. Ulfie, you are a great guy. Thanks, man, for everything. And now we have the Czech connection, Jiri Slegr, Jiri Hrdina, Robert Lang, thank you guys. Paul Stanton, we started the same year, 1990. Peter Taglianetti, Gord Roberts, Troy Loney, my favorite left wing, I loved to play with Troy. I loved to play with Troy, you know why? He never wanted the puck. He just give it to me all the time.
Kenny Wregget, Jay Caufield, Randy Hillier, Randy Callahan, Grant Jennings, Jock Callander. And the young guys: Matt Barnaby, what a beauty. What a beauty. Mike Needham, Ty Wright, Frankie Leroux, and Max Talbot. I never played with him here, but I know he’s your favorite. I played with him in Philly, what a great guy. I want to say a few names. They couldn’t come here and it’s pretty sad for me because I would love to see them. My first roommate, Bryan Trottier –what a legend, what a great player. Paul Coffey, thanks Paul. He showed me how to work hard, and I really appreciate it. I had to ride the bike so many times with him. Every day. I didn’t like it, but now I really appreciate it. Tommy B, Tommy Barrasso… Larry Murphy… Rick Tocchet… my great friend Marty Straka, Mark Recchi, Bob Errey, Frankie Pietrangelo. Now, I gotta say the last name – he’s not a player, he’s not a coach, he’s not a manager. But he was, for me, the voice of Pittsburgh Penguins: Mike Lange. I was talking to him yesterday. Thank you all, guys.
I want to say thanks to Dominika, my girlfriend. She’s too young to remember I played in Pittsburgh (extended laughs and cheers). But I told her all the stories, so don’t worry about it. I want to say thanks to all the friends from here from Czech, all the coaches that helped me a lot to play hockey. Thank you guys.
The last thanks, and probably the biggest thanks, gotta go to my parents. (Hugs his mom) I gotta say thanks to my dad, he passed away last year, but I know he’s watching. He’s watching from heaven, thank you Dad. He never played hockey, but everything he said, it was right. It was right on. Thank you, thank you for everything. My mom, she move from Czech when I was 19 to U.S., she was here for 10 years. I want to say thank you for everything you did for me, I really appreciate it. Good night, enjoy the game, and I love you all. Thank you guys, everybody.
Michelle Crechiolo and Carson Gates transcribed this text.
